Glasgow Rangers face two important matches in the space of just four days as they take on Real Betis in the Europa League before facing Aberdeen in the League Cup final on Sunday.
While many of the supporters may prioritise a trophy win rather than worrying about what European competition the club will be in after Christmas, the reality is, the Gers should be winning both games if they want a successful season.
Philippe Clement stands on the cusp of glory and winning a trophy just a couple of months after taking over would make for an excellent start.
His thoughts may then turn to the January transfer window after this week is done and dusted and there is a new name linked with a potential move to Scotland – Mason Holgate.
Rangers transfer news – Mason Holgate
During the summer transfer window, the onus was on Michael Beale to sign a centre-back or two in order to strengthen his backline.
Once deadline day was over, only Leon Balogun had joined and, while he had enjoyed a two-year spell at the club between 2020 and 2022, the move could have been seen as a step backwards given that he departed on a free transfer last year.
The Nigerian has been impressive when called upon, but he – at 35 – is not a long-term option and this could suggest Clement will delve into the transfer market next month.
According to Football Insider, the Light Blues are in the race to sign Everton defender Mason Holgate in the next few weeks as his loan spell at Southampton has turned sour.
Watford and Middlesbrough are the other two teams who are showing interest in the 27-year-old – who is earning a weekly wage of £70k-per-week – and Clement could face some competition.
The Toffees are looking to recall the centre-back from his loan spell on the south coast as he has featured in just five matches so far during the 2023/24 campaign.
It appears as though the Merseyside club want to bring him back to Goodison Park before finding a club where he could play on a more regular basis.
Clement currently has Connor Goldson, Balogun, John Souttar, Ben Davies, and Leon King to call on as options in the heart of the defence and a move for Holgate certainly is not warranted at this moment in time.
Judging by his lack of playing time and poor showings, Clement could repeat the club's Davies howler by signing the Englishman.
Ben Davies’ statistics at Rangers
The defender was signed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst for a fee of £4m in the summer of 2022 and, despite not featuring for Liverpool, he had extensive experience in the Championship.
Davies had played over 150 times in the second tier and with Calvin Bassey departing the club for Ajax along with a long-term injury to Filip Helander, the 28-year-old ace was seen as an ideal partner for Goldson at the heart of the defence as a left-footed enforcer.
His maiden season in Scotland did not exactly go to plan, and he was clearly out of his depth in the Champions League, ranking in a lowly 14th spot for tackles per game in the squad (one), along with finishing the campaign ranked sixth for possession lost per game (10.3) and his displays domestically were not considerably better.
The Englishman made a woeful mistake against Celtic during an eventual 3-2 defeat back in April which practically ended any ambitions the club had of winning the title, failing to clear the ball in his own box.
This led to criticism from former professional Kenny Miller, who said: “It’s a wonderful finish. Again he’s alert, alive, ruthless when the chance drops.
“But it’s so poor from Ben Davies. He should be heading that out.”
Davies has started just ten matches in all competitions during the current campaign and he was close to sealing a loan move to Stoke City during the summer before it was eventually rejected.
Judgement may be out under Clement, but the Belgian may be looking to bring his own players in.
Holgate, however, is certainly not the answer and funds should be directed elsewhere if they are looking to bolster their defence.
Mason Holgate’s career statistics
Holgate joined the Toffees from Barnsley in 2015 as a talented youngster, and it looked as though the club had signed a player who could eventually become a first-team regular.
He became a regular part of the senior squad during the 2017/18 season and, despite a brief loan spell at West Bromwich Albion, he played 25 Premier League matches in the 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.
74.3
36.8
Four
Four
6.8
3.8
12.8
5.6
0.8
1.2
He particularly enjoyed working under Carlo Ancelotti and the Italian lavished praise on the defender when he signed a new contract under his leadership, saying: “He has the quality to be at the top as a defender. He is fast, strong physically and good with his head.
“He is a complete defender. He is really young and wants to improve. He has made no mistakes in the games [under Ancelotti], nothing serious.”
Holgate made just eight league appearances last term, however, and ranked 12th for accurate passes per game in the squad (16.5), while also winning just 47% of his aerial duels and losing possession ten times per game.
The defender has started only four times for Southampton during the 2023/24 season and Clement would be best to avoid a player who has been lacking in gametime and would not add anything extra to the defence, based on his statistics.
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Although Davies joined from Liverpool, he made his reputation in the second tier, but it did not do him much good when he arrived at Rangers, constantly delivering underwhelming performances and failing to shine on the big stage.
Holgate’s massive wages could also be a stumbling block for the Gers and this money would be better directed to someone who is slightly younger and shows far greater promise moving forward.
There is no doubt the club needed some reinforcements across all areas of the squad, especially due to their horrendous luck with injures since the start of the season, but a move for Holgate must be swerved as it could be a repeat of the Davies howler as an expensive flop from England.
Clement will have his own targets in mind and there is little doubt the 49-year-old will be working tirelessly behind the scenes to improve his first team squad in the next couple of weeks.