Indonesia
South Africa

Rangers announce five first-team departures, one contract extension

sportsmole.co.uk, 1 June 2024, 14:51
Rangers have announced that Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, Kemar Roofe, John Lundstram and Jon McLaughlin have all left the club following the expiry of their contracts.

The quintet have spent a combined 23 seasons at Ibrox and were all part of the Gers squad beaten on penalties by Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 Europa League final.

All five players leave the Glaswegian giants as Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup winners, while Jack, Barisic, Roofe and McLaughlin all won the Scottish Premiership title under former boss Steven Gerrard in 2020-21.

A club statement read: "All five players have represented Rangers with commitment and dedication over a number of years.

"Everyone at Ibrox and Rangers' training centre thank the departing players for their time at the club and wish them all the very best for their future careers."

Jack leaves Rangers after making 210 appearances in all competitions during a seven-year stay at the club following his move from Aberdeen in 2017.

The 32-year-old midfielder scored in the 2022 Scottish Cup final win over Hearts was a key player for the Gers for a number of years, but he was reduced to only five starts in 2023-24 due to fitness issues.

Barisic joined Rangers a year after Jack and went on to make 236 appearances, scoring 10 goals and providing 54 assists, but the left-back lost his first-team place under Philippe Clement and was limited to 15 Premiership starts last season.

Both Roofe and McLaughlin arrived at Rangers in the summer of 2020; 31-year-old Roofe played 102 times for the Gers but was hampered with injuries over the last two seasons, while McLaughlin, 36, was a peripheral first-team figure and last played for the club in February 2023.

Lundstram, meanwhile, leaves Rangers after making 153 appearances in three years for the club, despite Clement stating at the end of March that he was "totally confident" the midfielder would agree terms over a new contract.

Balogun signs one-year contract extension at Rangers

Meanwhile, Rangers have confirmed that experienced defender Leon Balogun has extended his contract until the end of the 2024-25 season.

"I am very, very happy and privileged to be able to extend my contract at a club like Rangers," the 35-year-old told the club's official website. "I have said in the past I wish I could've been here sooner in my career because it fuels the fire to succeed all the time.

"I want to win more trophies here and win more titles. As a player, you want to make sure you are part of the history of this club because there are not many places in the world where there is a greater honour or a greater privilege."

The announcement of five departures and one contract extension comes after Clement insisted on the need for a rebuild at Ibrox and confirmed there will be significant changes made to his squad this summer.

Rangers have already announced the signing of Brazilian left-back Jefte for a reported £2m, with the 20-year-old penning a four-year contract.

The Gers won the Scottish League Cup in 2023-24, but they finished second in the Scottish Premiership behind champions and Old Firm rivals Celtic, who also beat them in the Scottish Cup final.

Top News

5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Juventus are reportedly lining up a move for Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's Premier League clash with bitter rivals Manchester United, scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Anfield, could allegedly be cancelled due to bad weather, with snow falling overnight in the Liverpool area. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The transfer window is open! Clubs around the UK and Europe have one final chance to strengthen their squads for the second half of the season. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ourense CF vs. Valladolid (Sunday, 11.00am) La Liga's basement side Real Valladolid will be bidding to book their spot in the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey when they head to third-tier outfit Ourense CF on Sunday. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Kasimpasa vs. Gaziantep (Sunday, 10.30am) Kasimpasa will look to add more wins to their current unbeaten run when they host Gaziantep at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadyumu on Sunday. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Santa Clara vs. Farense (Sunday, 3.30pm) High-flying Santa Clara welcome relegation-threatened SC Farense in gameweek 17 of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga season on Sunday at the Estadio de Sao Miguel. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Monza vs. Cagliari (Sunday, 11.30am) After both ended 2024 with four straight Serie A defeats, relegation rivals Monza and Cagliari will vie for victory in their year-opening fixture on Sunday. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Lens vs. Toulouse (Sunday, 2.00pm) Two sides in the hunt for a place in Europe next season resume their Ligue 1 campaigns on Sunday as Lens host Toulouse at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Hibernian vs. Rangers (Sunday, 12.00pm) Rangers will aim to build on their superb 3-0 victory in the Old Firm Derby as they head to Easter Road Stadium on Sunday to face an in-form Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have agreed to recall Stefan Bajcetic from his loan at Red Bull Salzburg and send him back out in January, with Real Betis heavily linked to the midfielder. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Queens Park Rangers will look to claim a second straight victory when they welcome Luton Town to Loftus Road for Monday's Championship clash. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's pursuit of left-back Julio Soler appears to have ended in failure, with Bournemouth reportedly in advanced talks with Argentine club Lanus for his signature this winter. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly tabled an enormous £78m contract to Trent Alexander-Arnold in an attempt to stop the defender joining Real Madrid for free in the summer. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Matheus Cunha is set to sign a new long-term contract at Wolves, talkSPORT understands. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Tottenham and Newcastle kicked off a thrilling day of Premier League action, but Brentford and Bournemouth did their best to steal the headlines. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Arsenal are facing another injury scare after Ethan Nwaneri was brought off at half-time against Brighton. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Arsenal were pegged back in their quest to catch up with Premier League leaders Liverpool following a 1-1 draw at Brighton. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that he was forced to bring Ethan Nwaneri off at half time in their 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion due to injury. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool could make a statement to the rest of the Premier League should they heavily beat Ruben Amorim's deflated Manchester United side, according to Reds experts David Lynch. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona eased their way into the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey on Saturday evening courtesy of a 4-0 success over fourth-tier outfit Barbastro at Estadio Municipal de Deportes de Barbastro. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal missed the chance to move to within three points of Premier League leaders Liverpool as a spirited Brighton & Hove Albion held them to a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City defender Issa Kabore is reportedly on the verge of joining a Bundesliga club on loan for the rest of the season. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Ethan Nwaneri has joined an exclusive club with his latest Arsenal goal. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has set a new Premier League managerial record after his Manchester City side battled to a 4-1 win over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal phenom Ethan Nwaneri has written a new page of Gunners history thanks to his opening goal in the Gunners' Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Liverpool are set to recall Stefan Bajcetic from his loan at Red Bull Salzburg. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly suffered a setback in their attempts to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain, who could instead be part of a sensational swap deal with an Aston Villa striker. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly made a £23m offer for Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis, with the Seagulls looking to beat a number of major clubs to the teenager's signature. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly running the rule over teenage Sheffield United striker Ryan One amid continued uncertainty over the future of Darwin Nunez. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Mikel Arteta has explained why Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli are not in his Arsenal starting XI against Brighton.