Glasgow Rangers secured just their second Europa League victory of the season as they overcame Sparta Prague 2-1 at Ibrox on Thursday evening.
The turnaround under Philippe Clement has been incredible, with the Belgian winning five of his opening six matches in charge of the Light Blues, conceding just three goals in the process.
Everything seems to be clicking at exactly the right time and with another two European ties to come along with a League Cup final before Christmas, the 49-year-old will be aiming for success before 2024.
The positive start is an indication of the direction Clement wants to take the team, and by asserting his tactical ideologies onto the senior squad already, a campaign that looked set to be disastrous could well be salvaged.
The Belgian is having to work with a team that he inherited from Michael Beale and, despite offering a clean slate to everyone in the squad, there could be some activity in the upcoming January transfer window.
A few players may be shipped out, while it looks as though the former Club Brugge boss is already identifying potential targets in order to bolster his team ahead of the second half of the season.
Rangers January transfer news
Heading towards the winter window, the rumour mill begins to circle and, according to 90min, Rangers have shown interest in Everton defender Ben Godfrey.
They will face some competition, however, as Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also seemingly keen on securing a move for the centre-back.
Under Sean Dyche this season, Godfrey has dropped way down the pecking order and has featured for a grand total of just one minute in the league, signifying that his future lies away from Goodison Park.
With this in mind, Clement could potentially make a swoop for the player and, with his contract expiring in 2025, Everton may not stand in his way should a club come in for him in the winter.
The Gers signed just one centre-back in the summer transfer window – Leon Balogun – and he only signed a one-year deal, with Michael Beale missing out on a few targets in the position.
Godfrey could be an ideal acquisition for the club as Clement could restore his confidence by giving him regular game time north of the border, while his talents would allow him to thrive in Scotland.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the Light Blues have signed a player from England who had a bright future, yet their form had taken a dip, as Todd Cantwell has become an integral player in the Ibrox side.
Godfrey could have a similar sort of impact to that of Cantwell and this could give the Gers a monumental boost heading into the final few months of the season.
Todd Cantwell’s statistics since he joined Rangers
Once touted as a player who was worth £40m just over two years ago during his spell with Norwich City, Cantwell’s form was underwhelming during the first half of the 2022/23 season.
This was a talent who had starred in two promotion campaigns and had scored six Premier League goals, yet he had made only ten starts for the East Anglian side before the transfer window opened in January.
Beale came to the rescue and secured his signature for just £1.5m, and it is beginning to look like one of the best pieces of business the club has done in years.
The Englishman registered 11 goal contributions – six goals and five assists – across just 20 games for the Glasgow side in the second half of last season and gave them some added attacking dynamism.
While he began the current season slowly, not helped by Beale’s tactics and an injury picked up against Celtic, Cantwell scored his first goal of the season against Sparta Prague in midweek, and it looks as though he is shining under the Belgian.
If the playmaker can displace Sam Lammers and return to his favoured number ten role, the next few months could be profitable for the former Norwich starlet.
Godfrey is an ex-teammate of Cantwell’s and his return to prominence could give the current Everton defender something to think about regarding his next career move, as he could become a key player at Rangers.
Ben Godfrey’s career statistics
The 25-year-old made 78 appearances for Norwich before signing for the Toffees in a £20m deal in October 2020 and he made a solid impression during his maiden season on Merseyside.
Godfrey made 36 appearances across all competitions and he ranked sixth out of the whole squad for accurate passes per game in the Premier League (33.3), along with ranking in the top five for clearances (3.5) and interceptions (1.1) per game, showcasing his growing talent and maturity, while it looked like Everton had a wonderful talent who could become a mainstay in their defence over the years.
79
0
78
5
51
1
15
1
He was even dubbed as a “revelation” by former professional boxer and Everton supporter Tony Bellew, yet just when things were looking rosy at the club, his appearances became less frequent.
Indeed, over the subsequent two seasons, Godfrey made 27 and then just 15 appearances under a succession of managers, with the low point coming during the current term.
His one start came during the EFL Cup clash against Doncaster Rovers as Dyche prefers the likes of James Tarkowski, Michael Keane and Jarrad Branthwaite to play at the heart of the defence.
This opens the door for Rangers, who could rescue the 6 foot gem from what has been a year to forget and give him a platform to showcase his talents.
It has worked extraordinarily well for Cantwell since joining the Gers from Norwich and Godfrey could follow in his footsteps, putting a poor spell behind him in England in order to shine north of the border while challenging for domestic trophies.
Clement still has plenty of time to work out potential transfer targets, but he will be keen on bringing another one or two fresh faces to the club if he aims to end Celtic’s recent domestic hegemony.
It is an exciting time to be a supporter of the Light Blues, especially with the 49-year-old bringing the feel-good factor back to Ibrox and if he can sign someone like Godfrey in the coming months, it will do his reputation no harm at all.