Philippe Clement linked with shock move away from Rangers

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Ibrox Noise

·24 September 2024

Philippe Clement linked with shock move away from Rangers

Belgian (and Scottish) press are today linking Rangers manager Philippe Clement with the vacant Anderlecht job, but as with stories like these, the devil is in the detail.

Scottish media broke the story today that the up-for-grabs job at arguably Belgium’s biggest club alongside Liege and Brugge had Clement in line for the position, but as we say, there’s a big omission most of these headlines are making:

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Only ex-Belgium international Nordin Jbari has actually publically said this, and he’s merely offered Clement’s name as a suggestion.

In fairness, Clement’s stock in his homeland is high, having torn up the Jupiler Pro League with both Genk and Brugge, three seasons running, so he would be quite coveted back home.

Jbari said:

“Philippe Clement likes to play modern, attacking football. He would be a very interesting option, even though he used to play for and manage Club Brugge. There’s obviously a financial aspect to it too because he’s at Rangers and whether he would even consider a move to Anderlecht. But he’s definitely an option for Anderlecht alongside (Mark) van Bommel.”

The further caveat is that Brugge and Anderlecht are big rivals in Belgium, and while it’s not Rangers and Celtic level, it would be a rival manager taking over your team, ala Rafa Benitez at both Liverpool and Everton.

Would Clement be interested if this position genuinely was being proposed to him? Anderlecht currently sit 6th in Belgium, in a substantially stronger league, but spent just £3M in the window – it’s not like they’re flowing with cash themselves.

Would he want to go home?

Well everything he’s said has committed to Rangers long-term, including the new contract, so it would cost Anderlecht money to free him.

It’s probably a non-starter anyway, but crazier things have happened in football.