Glasgow Rangers head into the international break at arguably the best time having endured two potentially season-defining defeats in the space of a week.
Michael Beale has led his side to just four wins from nine matches during the 2023/24 campaign and although it is still early, the lack of cohesion or rhythm in the Gers side during their defeat to Celtic last weekend was particularly alarming.
With nine summer arrivals, it was always going to be tough getting everyone settled in straight away, yet the disappointment at failing to qualify for the Champions League group stages while suffering the first Old Firm blow of the season indicates that a lot of work still has to be done in the coming weeks.
Beale has also failed to properly utilise some big-money signings of late. Danilo, bought for £6m from Feyenoord before the season began, has started only three games out of his nine appearances so far for the club.
It hasn’t just been Beale’s signings either, as Ben Davies has failed to make an appearance during 2023/24, even being left out of the Champions League squad as it looked as though he was about to leave the Gers.
How much did Rangers sign Ben Davies for?
Following the stunning Europa League final run during the 2021/22 season, Giovanni van Bronckhorst lost a few of his star performers, most notably Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo.
These departures meant the Dutchman needed to replace his lost talent and a move was launched for Davies.
The Englishman ended up costing the Light Blues £4m from Liverpool, having never played a match under Jurgen Klopp and on the surface, it looked as though he could certainly add something to the defence.
Why was Ben Davies worth £4m?
The Anfield side secured his signature from Preston North End during the winter transfer window during the 2020/21 season after he enjoyed a solid three-year spell at Deepdale.
He made close to 145 appearances for the Championship side and his consistency was impressive, ranking in the top ten for average match rating across the whole squad during those three full seasons at the club.
The 28-year-old also ranked in the top three for accurate passes per game in three successive seasons, further demonstrating how consistent he was while showcasing his passing abilities in the second tier.
The centre-back spent the entirety of the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Sheffield United, and it was arguably these displays that led the Gers to sign him.
Over 22 matches for the Blades, he ranked second in the squad for accurate passes per game (48.7), while also ranking fifth for clearances (2.6), fourth for interceptions (1.4) and ninth for tackles per game (1.5), suggesting he enjoyed a decent term for the club defensively.
What is Ben Davies worth now?
Davies struggled with injury during his first few weeks at Ibrox, featuring just once in their opening seven league matches, while playing just two of their Champions League qualifiers before finally getting a solid run of games.
When Beale took over in November last year, Davies was chosen as the player to partner Connor Goldson at the heart of the defence and started 21 Premiership matches before missing the final four games of the campaign.
His performances came in for criticism towards the end of the season, however, especially during the 3-2 Old Firm defeat in April where he made a mistake which led to Celtic’s second goal.
The 28-year-old failed to clear a simple ball played over the defence which gave the Parkhead side the momentum to snatch a third moments later, condemning the Gers to defeat.
Former Rangers striker Kenny Miller led the way with his criticism, saying: “It’s so poor from Ben Davies. He should be heading that out.”
He failed to light up Ibrox and his statistics back this up, with the defender ranking in a lowly 14th position across the squad for Sofascore rating along with finishing outside the top ten for tackles per game and seventh for interceptions per game, failing to shine following his move from Liverpool.
According to Football Transfers, his value now sits at €2.7m (£2m) which works out at just over a 50% decrease from the £4m that Rangers spent on him a year ago.
With further poor performances, this value will only continue to decrease, and the club could be faced with a big loss unless they move him on.
How much does Ben Davies earn?
The former Preston gem currently earns £27k-per-week, which places him among the higher earners at the club and judging by his displays, both domestically and in Europe last term, this isn’t an accurate reflection of his current wage.
Beale looked like he was going to move him on during the summer transfer window as there were Championship clubs keen on luring him back South of the border, most notably Stoke City.
Indeed, Stoke did come in with an offer before the window closed, yet it was just a loan deal and this was swiftly rejected by Beale, who was looking to generate a fee for the player that matched his value.
He now remains in Glasgow, until January at least, and it remains to be seen whether he pulls on the Rangers' jersey again.
John Souttar worked hard to get himself fit over the summer following an injury-laden debut campaign for the Gers, yet he has started all but one game for the Light Blues this term, giving Goldson a reliable partner in front of Jack Butland.
It has been a year to forget for Davies, and it certainly looks like the Championship is the level for which he will be able to offer consistent performances.
With his value falling at a rapid rate over the previous 12 months, Beale will need to find a suitor who will be willing to take a risk in signing him during the January transfer window, otherwise, it will represent a woeful piece of business by the club.
