Rangers outcast given '50/50' transfer exit and Eredivisie return percentage chance amid 3 key questions

Rangers flop Sam Lammers has been given a “less than 50 per cent chance” of returning to FC Utrecht next season - but the Dutch club will NOT give up hope of landing him on a permanent deal.

The 27-year-old attacker has spent six productive months on loan in his homeland and bagged 10 goals and three assists in 18 games during an impressive stint with the Eredivisie side, leading boss Ron Jans to express his desire to keep him around long term.

Lammers - who only managed two goals in 17 appearances for the Gers during the first half of the season after moving to Ibrox from Atalanta last summer under Michael Beale - could be on the move this summer with the Light Blues still to make a decision over his future. It’s understood FC Twente are also eyeing a move for the man who quickly became the target of fan backlash following the club’s poor recruitment drive.

Jans had previously urged Utrecht officials to do everything they can to strike a deal for Lammers but the club are facing a financial problem having already snapped up striker David Min from RKC Waalwijk. And Jans has admitted during an open training session that there’s now only a slim chance of submitting a bid that would convince Rangers cash in and sell him in this transfer window.

“We have not given up hope that Sam Lammers will return,” he told ESPN.nl. “But I think the chance is less than 50 per cent.”

However, one man who reckons Lammers can still make an impact in Glasgow and kickstart his Gers career is Heerenveen boss Kees van Wonderen if the player given the opportunity by manager Philippe Clement to do so. After watching Lammers net a brace against his side, van Wonderen is backing the versatile forward to make his mark at the second time of asking.

He stated: “I have only seen Lammers from a distance as a manager so it’s difficult to get the correct insight without working with the player on a daily basis. He has never lost his talent but since he has started playing regularly he’s got his confidence back. He’s scoring again and I have no doubt he can take that back with him to Scotland and have a positive second season at Rangers.

“It’s clear his manager Ron Jans has triggered something in him and he has done well in the short spell with Utrecht in the Dutch league. You can see he’s starting to score and feels he’s an important player. He has found a team who has given him time to play and has delivered on that by scoring goals. That’s a big difference from what he achieved in Scotland.

“So much will depend on the confidence he gets from his manager at Rangers – will it be the same as Jans at Utrecht? Can he come back to Glasgow and have the same fun he’s had in Holland? Can he keep that smile on his face and continue to score? The dynamic of the team, his team-mates and all of the different variables need to work for him.”