BREAKING NEWS:Philippe Clement has confirmed the departure of Todd Cantwell few minutes ago
Rangers boss Philippe Clement has taken a dig at Todd Cantwell ahead of the first Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday [1 September].
The midfielder completed a move to Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers on deadline day after a summer of constant speculation.
Clement spoke on his former player on Sky Sports [31 August] and has admitted he is glad to now focus on the future following the 26-year-old’s inevitable departure.
He said: “It’s a big difference at Rangers now because a lot of players left from the period he came.
“He had other expectations probably but it’s important to look to the future and to look at the guys who want to work and fight for the squad.
“He had said several times he wanted to move and go somewhere else so we wish him all the best.”
Philippe Clement and Rangers are better off without Todd Cantwell
It was a turbulent summer for Rangers in the transfer window with 13 players leaving Glasgow.
Cantwell was one of many first-team players on the chopping block at the Gers, with the club hoping to recoup a multi-million-pound fee for his sale and use his wages to invest in the rebuild of the squad.
The saga ended on unfavourable terms for the Light Blues as they received a fee reported to be worth £650,000 [The 4th Official] for a player that featured 44 times in all competitions last term.
His commitment to the Gers amid the speculation regarding his future was questioned. Reports emerged that he refused to train with the reserves squad, which he has since posted a rebuttal of those claims on his Instagram account [31 August].
Whether the club or the player was right we may never know. Regardless, Rangers supporters will be glad to see the back of Cantwell after a long-drawn-out saga and can finally move on having replaced him with Nedim Bajrami from Sassuolo.
Clement has a monumental task in the face of Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the season and a win could establish their credentials as genuine Scottish Premiership title contenders this season.
The Belgian can take solace in the fact that whoever he selects to face the Hoops will be fully committed to his side.
In other Rangers news, Connor Barron is to get his eyes opened against Celtic.
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