There is little more than a week to go until James Tavernier‘s contract with Glasgow Rangers officially comes to an end and he becomes a free agent.
After ten seasons at Ibrox, the defender has decided to move on to explore a new challenge. It currently remains to be seen where his next club will be.
Losing the captain is a blow for the Light Blues because he provided consistent quality as an attacking force from right-back over the years in Glasgow, scoring 144 goals and providing 148 assists in 565 matches in all competitions.
No player in the Rangers squad created more ‘big chances’ in the Scottish Premiership than Tavernier, who created 19 for his teammates, in the 2025/26 campaign.
Derek McInnes, who has replaced Danny Rohl in the dugout at Ibrox, will need to find a way to replace the creativity that has been lost with the captain’s departure this summer.
Rangers expected to sign Scottish defender
Everton right-back Nathan Patterson has reportedly emerged as one of the club’s top targets to directly replace Tavernier, over four years on from his move to the Premier League from Rangers.
The recruitment team can find ways to replace the skipper’s creativity by making signings in other positions, though, and they are looking at a star who could be a left-footed version of Tavernier at Ibrox.
According to The National, Glasgow Rangers are interested in a deal to sign AEK Athens left-back James Penrice in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Light Blues are ‘expected’ to sign the 27-year-old defender as part of an ongoing effort to add more Scottish talent to the squad, following on from the signing of Lawrence Shankland from Hearts.
It adds that they are also expected to sign Dundee central defender Luke Graham to bolster McInnes options at the back, adding yet another Scottish star.
The National does not reveal how much AEK Athens are set to demand for the full-back, 12 months on from signing him from Hearts for a fee of £2m.
How James Penrice can replace James Tavernier for Rangers
Whilst Penrice does not play in Tavernier’s position at right-back, the 27-year-old star has the creative quality to replace the creativity that has been lost with the captain’s exit from Ibrox.
As aforementioned, the skipper led the way for the Gers for ‘big chances’ created, showing that he was the most creative player in the Premiership for the club.
Penrice’s form for Hearts in the Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign, before his move to Greece, suggests that he has the quality to be a left-footed version of Tavernier for McInnes.
The 5 foot 10 defender created the third-most ‘big chances’ in the league that term, only four behind Tavernier, and this shows that he is a proven creative threat from left-back in the Premiership.
On top of his offensive skills, Penrice also averaged 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game, more than the Rangers captain managed in the league this season, and helped the Jam Tarts to keep ten clean sheets.
The AEK Athens star, who was described as “perfect” for Rangers by STV Radio host Ewen Cameron, would be able to hit the ground running at Ibrox as a player who has already shown that he can perform on and off the ball in the Premiership.
He has not had the best season abroad, with no assists in 20 matches in the Super League, but a return to familiar settings in Scotland could help him to get back to his best at left-back.
In Penrice and Tuur Rommens, who created five ‘big chances’ in ten league games in the second half of last season, McInnes would have two incredibly creative and dynamic left-back options at his disposal.
Having two prolific creators on the left side of the defence could make up for losing Tavernier and the creativity that he consistently offered on the opposite flank.
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