International presses Rangers restart as £1.15m Ibrox audition enters exciting new phase
Yesterday at 03:10 PM
Dave King has been outspoken in the last few days about the quality of Rangers' work in the transfer market.
In fact, the ex-Rangers chairman went as far to say the club has 'wasted' the limited resources they had amassed in the battle for Scottish Premiership supremacy with Celtic.
Since Steven Gerrard guided the Gers to 55 in 2021, the club has let slip its brief grip on the domestic league title with Celtic once again marching off ahead.
The signings that Rangers have made have proven expensive failures with few from the last three seasons leaving a lasting and effective impression.
But could one of the club's most substantial outlays of the period now be back on track to finally repay the Ibrox side's investment?
Tom Lawrence getting back on Rangers track
When Rangers signed Tom Lawrence in the summer of 2022, the move was labelled something of a coup.
John Bennett claimed Rangers had successfully lured Lawrence to Govan at the end of his Derby Counry contract despite substantial interest from across the Premier League.
In fact, the recruitment of Lawrence was viewed as the purchase of a Premier League quality footballer in his prime who could immediately affect games.
And so the midfielder's early formed proved.
Lawrence burst into life at Rangers, netting three goals in nine games and looking every inch the Premier League level attacker we thought we'd signed.
And then disaster struck. As it often has at Rangers in recent seasons.
Despite having never suffered a major injury in his career, Lawrence has spent two years of a three-year contract rebuilding following a knee injury and subsequent set-backs.
It's not been cheap either; Salary Sport report Rangers pay Tom Lawrence £22k a week, or £1.15m per season, to play for the club.
After £2.3m of investment – not including any signing on or agents fees – Rangers have seen scant return.
But so far this season, Lawrence is beginning to show flashes of his old self and perhaps we're now about to see the best of a player who we have sorely missed over the last 24 months.
Is it too late for Lawrence to win new contract?
Tom Lawrence played an enigmatic if not match-winning role in the 1-0 defeat of Dundee United.
Scoring the winning goal, Lawrence got the rewards for his industry when the ball broke in the box and he chipped it over the unrushing Arabs stopper.
It was however a moment of genuine quality which wasn't repeated, as Lawrence spurned as many as four other clear chances to score.
On another day, this might've been a masterclass, but with Rangers and Lawrence failing to kill the game off, the scrutiny remains.
Tom Lawrence's performance at Tannadice was about much more than just that winning goal, with the Welshman crucial to everything good that came out of Clement's side.
Lawrence was also robust and commanding in the middle of the park and was just a few more goals away from a performance which would've acted as a resurrection.
The preferred number 10 for manager Philippe Clement this season, Lawrence is out of contract next summer and will feel he has unfinished business in Glasgow.
But can the 30-year-old win a new deal at Rangers?
It very much depends on how these next few months go but it's clear the Gers are moving in a different, and much more cost-effective, direction.
It's on Lawrence to prove he's worth every penny.
