Glasgow Rangers ended their campaign on a high note with a final day Premiership victory, however, it will be a season Michael Beale will be aiming to move on from fairly quickly.
No trophies, just one win over Celtic in six attempts and finishing their Champions League group with zero points and just two goals scored, the worst-ever performance in the group stages indicates a terrible 2022/23 and their goalkeeping struggles throughout could be partly to blame.
Between them, Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin conceded 51 and 18 goals in 36 and 16 matches respectively this term and while the 41-year-old is leaving at the end of his current deal, McLaughlin still has another year left on his, yet it’s time Beale moved him on too as he was somewhat of a liability during his displays.
Following his performance against Celtic in September, where he conceded four goals, Jordan Campbell dubbed the £6.1k-per-week ‘keeper as “poor” and this summer is the ideal chance to get a potential fee for the player as Beale looks to the future.
Indeed, the Ibrox side have been linked with Ivor Pandur according to the Daily Mail and he could be an ideal replacement for the 35-year-old next term.
Could Ivor Pandur replace Jon McLaughlin at Rangers?
Robby McCrorie has impressed since taking the number slot for the final few matches of the season, keeping clean sheets in three of his four matches, and he could have the chance to stake his claim for the number one slot next season, yet Pandur could also be a solid option for Beale.
The Light Blues have sent scouts to watch his performances for Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie as he is currently on loan at the Dutch side from Hellas Verona.
The Croatian titan has averaged a rating of 7/10 across 31 matches as per Sofascore, while he has made 3.7 saves per game and succeeded with 100% of his run-outs. McLaughlin on the other hand has achieved a rating of just 6.69/10, making 1.4 saves per game and succeeded with 0% of his run-outs, indicating that the 23-year-old would be a much better option, particularly when it comes to sweeping up the play.
Pandur also took more touches per game than the Rangers shot stopper (46.1 to 36.2), clearly indicating that the 6 foot 2 Croat is more comfortable on the ball and Beale could utilise this to build attacks from the back.
Journalist Marco Conterio lauded him for his “excellent season” back in March and with fresh faces required at Ibrox to give the place a boost ahead of a crucial pre-season, Pandur could prove to be a solid investment.
