Glasgow Rangers are preparing for the final furlong of the 2023/24 season, with ten important matches left (11 if they reach the Scottish Cup final).
Philippe Clement has done a remarkable job since joining the Ibrox side in mid-October, losing just three games while leading the club to a League Cup triumph and to the last 16 of the Europa League.
It is in the Premiership where the most improvement has been made as Rangers were eight points adrift of Celtic after just seven games.
Michael Beale led the club to three league defeats in their opening seven matches, and he was dismissed following the 3-1 loss to Aberdeen at Ibrox.
This result summarised Beale’s tenure to a tee. A gutless performance by a group of players who delivered yet another woeful display, and it was clear that the Englishman failed to improve his squad during the transfer window.
Not only did some of his summer signings look downright bizarre (Sam Lammers), but his decision to allow several first-team players to leave for nothing at the end of 2022/23 proved to be a mistake.
Filip Helander was one, as the defender is enjoying a new lease of life at his current club.
How much Rangers paid for Filip Helander
Following a trophyless debut season in charge of Rangers, Steven Gerrard spent the summer of 2019 attempting to bolster his squad to give Celtic a better challenge for the league crown.
New arrivals included Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent, and Steven Davies, while Helander was also signed midway through the transfer window.
Ryan Kent
Liverpool
Joe Aribo
Charlton Athletic
Filip Helander
Bologna
George Edmundson
Oldham Athletic
Greg Stewart
Birmingham City
Steven Davies
Southampton
Jack Hastie
Motherwell
Jordan Jones
Kilmarnock
Sheyi Ojo
Liverpool
Brandon Barker
Man City
Andy King
Leicester City
Gerrard splashed £3m on the Swedish centre-back to lure him from Bologna as he looked to strengthen his defensive options.
“At £3m, we’ve done really well to get Filip,” said Gerrard. “He naturally gives us balance as a left-footer. That enables us to play with a two or with a back three. He will be able to defend our box and be a threat at set pieces.
“He is comfortable on the ball. He’s a good man, he’s a leader. We do need more voices out there if we want to challenge for the top prizes.”
It didn’t take long for him to make an impact at the Light Blues, forming a solid partnership with Connor Goldson.
Filip Helander’s Rangers career in numbers
Although he only made 18 appearances during his first season, Helander looked assured at the heart of the defence. He suffered a foot injury against Celtic in the League Cup in December 2019 and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Swede returned for the 2020/21 campaign, playing 28 games in all competitions as the Gers won their first league title in a decade, conceding just 13 times across 38 league matches.
Helander and Goldson were formidable at the heart of the defence, but this was to be as good as it got for the Swede, as injury problems started to mount.
During his final two seasons, he missed a grand total of 99 games through injury, failing to even make a single senior appearance throughout 2022/23, and he was released when his contract expired last May.
On the surface, it sounded like a logical decision, yet since leaving Ibrox, Helander has found himself a new club and is currently shining abroad.
Where Filip Helander is playing in 2024
During the summer transfer window, Helander made the move to Danish side Odense Boldklub following his release from the Gers, since playing 16 times for the club.
His form in Denmark led to the defender receiving a call-up to the Swedish national side for the first time since 2022, making another four appearances for his country, showing how impressive he had been.
The 30-year-old currently ranks in the top ten players among the squad for accurate passes, accurate long balls, tackles, interceptions and clearances per game, further evidence of his return to form since leaving Glasgow last summer.
Filip Helander's salary in 2024
Offering the defender a one-year deal to prove his fitness might have been an ideal option for Beale, and there is no doubt he fumbled badly on a player who is now earning significantly less than a Gers defender in Ben Davies.
Davies has struggled at Ibrox since joining from Liverpool during the summer of 2022, making 50 appearances for the Light Blues, but failing to really have an impact in the starting XI.
He is certainly not one of Clement’s favourites, as the Englishman has made just four starts under the Belgian and this could very well be his final season in Glasgow, especially if the former Club Brugge manager aims to bring in his own signings.
Davies is currently picking up a hefty wage of £27k-per-week, which places him as the third-highest earner in the Rangers squad, behind Goldson and James Tavernier.
Considering his form and lack of meaningful impact at the Gers, it is clear that this wage could be more appropriate elsewhere.
Helander, on the other hand, is earning £3.3k-per-week at Odense, as per Salary Sport, and this represents a massive difference from what Davies is taking home every week.
There is no doubt that when both players are fully fit, Helander is the better of the two, yet injury problems wrecked his spell at Rangers and meant he failed to enjoy the sendoff that he really deserved.
Testament to his character, however, as he has managed to get himself back to full fitness and secure a return to the national team late last year.
Helander would have been an excellent option for Clement to call upon rather than Davies, especially when fixture congestion was looking like it could derail their ambitions a few months ago.
At his peak, the Swede regularly delivered solid and reliable performances for Rangers, with Gerrard being able to trust the player in a variety of situations without having to worry about the club conceding.
Having signed a one-year deal with Odense last summer, could Helander potentially be back on the move again at the end of the current season? Only time will tell.
