Rangers’ busy summer is already in full swing at Ibrox.
Russell Martin was appointed as the new manager earlier this month, while both Lyall Cameron and Max Aarons have been unveiled as new signings, with plenty more to follow for the new Rangers boss.
So now, following on from new owners, a new sporting director and a new coach, could the Gers actually have a new captain?
Rangers changing centre-backs
Rangers’ central defensive options are set to be completely overhauled this summer, first with Leon Balogun joining Aris Limassol on a free transfer, where he’ll be reunited with Connor Goldson in Cyprus.
Meantime, Robin Pröpper is edging closer to a return to FC Twente, from whence he came just a year ago, while John Souttar is a doubt for the start of Champions League qualifying, following ‘hernia surgery’, facing a race against time to be available for the first leg against Panathinaikos on 22 July.
With all that in mind, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider is reporting that Rangers are ‘in advanced talks’ to sign Conor Coady from Leicester City.
They claim that the Gers are ‘confident’ of finalising a deal ‘early next week’, and that the England international will ‘bring vast experience’ to Martin’s squad.
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Meantime, as outlined by Rob Tanner of the Athletic, following the Foxes’ relegation back to the EFL Championship, they’re looking to offload a number of players, including Coady, given that he has just one year remaining on his contract, while, according to Capology, only four Leicester players earn more than his £75k-per-week salary.
Those wages would surely decrease significantly, should Coady choose to move to Glasgow, but his on-pitch experience and quality could be invaluable.
Why Conor Coady should become Rangers captain
Since signing from Wigan Athletic a decade ago, James Tavernier has been a Rangers stalwart, making 513 appearances to date, only ten men in the club’s entire history have accumulated more, scoring a staggering 130 goals from right-back, on top of his 142 assists.
He was named club captain by Steven Gerrard in 2018, and is a bona fide Rangers legend, although his form did come under intense scrutiny last season, with Clive Lindsay of BBC Sport noting that he was left on the bench for November’s Europa League tie against Olympiacos, something that would’ve been unthinkable not so long ago.
Still only 33 years old, Tavernier still has a key role to play in Martin’s side, but the table below does show his slight decline.
Appearances
46
58
55
58
53
Minutes
3,923
5,255
4,864
5,211
4,433
Goals
19
18
18
24
5
Assists
16
17
10
12
13
Chances created
71
130
112
123
96
Take-on success %
41%
59%
41%
44%
51%
Ground-duel success %
53%
56%
48%
53%
54%
Touches per 90
87
90
83
89
71
As the table shows, Tavernier played fewer minutes last season than he had in any campaign since the title-winning year of 2020/21, also failing to reach double figures in terms of goals for the first time in five seasons.
On top of this, his chances created and touches per 90 numbers were notably down too, emphasising that he is no longer the focal point of Rangers’ attacking play.
So, with Tavernier no longer undroppable, could we see Coady donning the armband next season?
Well, analyst Kai Watson describes him as a natural “leader”, while Sean Dyche, who was his manager at Everton, praised Coady’s “immaculate” professionalism, with Jamie Carragher describing his performances for Wolves as “brilliant”, adding that he is second only to Virgil van Dijk “in terms of passing from the back”.
In support of this assertion, Adrian Clarke of the Premier League documents how, in the 2019/20 season, no player accumulated more ‘accurate long passes’ than Coady across the entire division.
On top of this, Adam McNulty of Breaking the Lines praises the centre-backs ‘elite’ ability to ‘pick out a runner using a diagonal’, believing his passing range to be one of his strongest attributes.
In a Martin team, that prioritises control through possession, Coady will be an invaluable asset, suggesting he will be a favourite of the new manager, potentially usurping Tavernier in the captaincy hierarchy.
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