The relationship between Todd Cantwell and Philippe Clement has already made quite a few Rangers headlines.
Signed by Michael Beale in the January of 2023, Todd Cantwell at his best has been amongst the most technically gifted and talented players we’ve seen at Rangers in recent seasons.
A creative, bold attacking midfielder who is capable of magnificent goals, there’s a reason why ex-Norwich City star Cantwell once came close to joining Bayern Munich.
But issues with attitude and application have plagued Cantwell’s career, with the midfielder’s often self-indulgent attitude also impacting his time at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement has not played ball, infamously hooking the player in the first half in a Europa League clash with Aris Limassol last season.
Rangers fans too – one of whom Cantwell branded a ‘weapon’ in pre-season – have found the midfielder’s approach increasingly frustrating.
With no sight of the 26-year-old yet this summer – and reports that Cantwell wants out of Rangers – news that Clement has sat down the midfielder will turn the heads of Ibrox fans.
Clement reveals showdown squad talks
Whilst there’s been plenty of exit chatter around Todd Cantwell this summer, the Rangers star was part of the club’s training camp squad which jetted out to the Netherlands
Now, the Rangers boss has revealed that he has taken advantage of the Dutch camp to look his players in the eye and have intensive one-to-ones with every single member of his squad.
Whilst as many as seven players have been linked to the Rangers exit door, if we could be a fly on the wall at one of those chats it’d be the one with Todd Cantwell.
“It was also important with all the players, all 30 that were here, individual talks during this week,” Clement told RangersTV.
“It’s been a very intensive week. So we had almost every evening these individual talks, so it was days from 7, 7:30am to 11, 12pm for the staff.”
When asked about the importance of the talks, Clement said: “It’s crucial. OK, most of the guys I knew from the last seven months.
“But it’s to put everything clear, it’s to speak about working points. It’s also to speak about the good points, to speak about everything that we expect for the season from them.
“It’s also talks both ways. So we know also more what lives in the team and with the players, to make things better in the club, with them and with the group.”
Cantwell missing from Rangers squad
It’s hard to know exactly what Todd Cantwell and Philippe Clement spoke about at the training camp.
But the fact the midfielder was missing from both the friendlies against Standard Liege and with Ajax has cast a spotlight on the situation.
When asked about the absence, Clement claimed that there are ‘small things’ preventing the player from playing.
Whilst the Belgian manager might’ve been talking about injury, such a line has given rise to speculation that Clement meant something more.
Couple this with the Cantwell’s agent offering the player to Serie A side Lecce – ex-Liverpool defender Jose Enrique offering the Rangers star to a fan account on Instagram – and the player’s future remains uncertain.
For us, a Todd Cantwell at his fully focused best is an undoubted asset to Rangers Football Club.
But at his worst, the midfielder gives the air of an unwelcome distraction and no matter what happens this summer, it has to be in the best interests of the Gers.
FOR MORE NEWS CLICK HERE
