Glasgow Rangers huffed and puffed their way to a 2-1 win over St Mirren in the Premiership on Sunday afternoon, maintaining their slim hopes of lifting the title.
Another poor showing like that this weekend against Kilmarnock, however, and the title race could be done and dusted by the time the Light Blues travel to Parkhead to play Celtic in two weeks.
It took a Cyriel Dessers goal 15 minutes from time to secure all three points, yet it was Jack Butland who was the real star of the show, making a host of wonderful saves to give Rangers the win.
Despite the win, Philippe Clement knows he faces a difficult task in the summer as he will need to go through a clear out of players who are underperforming, while signing better replacements in the process.
Could the Belgian already have one eye on the market, however? As it appears the Gers are showing interest in a midfielder currently starring in the Championship…
Rangers transfer news
According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey late last week, Rangers are showing interest in Coventry City gem Callum O’Hare ahead of the summer transfer window.
It appears as though Burnley are in pole position to secure his signature for the 2024/25 campaign, while Celtic are also keen on the player.
His contract expires at the end of the season, meaning he will be able to leave the side for nothing, which could certainly tempt Clement into potentially making a swoop for the midfielder.
The 50-year-old will be looking to add some depth to his midfield options and O’Hare certainly fits the bill. He will be 26 by the start of next season, suggesting his best football is yet to come, while gaining experience in the second tier, especially for Coventry, who have been challenging for promotion recently under Mark Robins, could see him sparkle in Scotland.
It won't be the first time Rangers have done their shopping in the Championship and if Clement could replicate their Todd Cantwell masterclass from January 2023, then he will have another excellent attacking option at his disposal.
Todd Cantwell’s Rangers statistics
Despite Michael Beale’s dismal ten-month period in charge of the Ibrox side, he did make a few solid signings in the transfer market.
Cantwell was once valued at £40m by Norwich City, having shone during their two Premier League campaigns, scoring six times in the top flight for the Canaries.
After a poor first half of the 2022/23 campaign for Norwich, Beale swooped that January, securing the Englishman for a transfer fee of just £1.5m, which soon proved to be a bargain.
In just 20 matches during his first six months in Glasgow, Cantwell scored six goals and registered five assists, showcasing his penchant for not only finding the back of the net regularly, but also creating plenty of chances for others.
This gave him a solid platform to build on heading into the current season, where a full pre-season would surely allow him to pick up where he left off.
It didn’t quite work out that way, as the 26-year-old scored just once between the first game of the season until Christmas Eve, failing to recapture the form which saw him become one of the finer performers during the second half of last season.
Metric
2022/23
2023/24
Goals
6
5
Assists
4
4
Big chances created
5
5
Key passes per game
1.3
1.6
Successful dribbles per game
1.5
1.1
Once Clement relocated him from the right wing to an attacking midfield role, he began to shine.
Following his goal on Christmas eve against Motherwell, Cantwell scored a further four goals while chipping in with three assists, showing his worth to the Belgian.
O’Hare could certainly make a similar impact at Ibrox given he could arrive from the same division while operating as a number ten, just like Cantwell.
Callum O’Hare's record for Coventry
The 5 foot 10 dynamo started off his career at Aston Villa, making nine appearances for the club before joining Coventry on a permanent basis in the summer of 2020. O’Hare played an integral part in the club securing promotion back to the Championship during his loan spell the season prior and would enjoy success in the second tier over the next three seasons.
Indeed, the midfielder missed just one match in the Championship across both the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, scoring eight times while grabbing 16 assists in the process.
A cruciate ligament injury kept him out for 37 matches between December 2022 and October 2023, subsequently missing Coventry’s play-off final defeat to Luton Town last season.
Since his return, the playmaker has been in fine form for the Sky Blues. Not only has he missed just three league matches, but he shone during their run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, scoring four goals in just five games, including one against Manchester United.
Despite missing the start of the season due to his injury, O’Hare still ranks fourth among the squad for goals and assists (nine) in the second tier, while also ranking sixth for big chances created (4), fifth for key passes per game (1.2) and seventh for successful dribbles per game (0.7), solid numbers for a player who has had to recover from a serious injury.
Robbins praised O’Hare after one of his first matches back from his ligament injury, saying he is “really infectious and effervescent” following his recovery, even more evidence of how hard he had to work in order to return to his best-ever form.
Clement might not have too big a budget to work with during the summer window, indicating that he may have to rely on several free transfers and loan signings in order to bolster his squad.
Making a move for O’Hare, especially considering he is available for nothing, is surely a no-brainer considering his performances for Coventry – before and after suffering a horrendous injury – as he could certainly add something different to the attacking options Clement has at his disposal.
Cantwell has proved to be a success following his move from Norwich just over a year ago. There is no reason why O’Hare cannot follow suit.
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