Rangers outcast Rabbi Matondo looks increasingly likely to remain at Rangers for the final six months of his lucrative contract, with a deadline day exit now viewed as unlikely despite tentative interest from the English Championship.
The Welsh international is understood to be on wages in the region of £28,000 per week, a figure that has proven a major obstacle in negotiations. Rangers have explored possibilities to move the winger on, but a permanent sale has effectively been ruled out.
Matondo’s recent injury record, coupled with a reluctance to lower salary expectations, means even a free transfer would leave little room for suitors to structure a viable deal.
Loan options have also stalled. While there has been background interest south of the border, few clubs are willing to absorb a significant portion of his wages given his limited availability over the past 18 months.
One club previously linked were Norwich City, managed by former Rangers boss Philippe Clement.
Clement had curtailed a potential Matondo sale during his time at Ibrox in August 2024, but Norwich’s tentative interest has cooled, again due to the wage coverage Rangers are seeking as part of any temporary arrangement.
As it stands, Matondo is prepared to see out his contract in Glasgow and become a free agent in the summer.
However, his prospects of meaningful involvement under Danny Rohl appear slim. He did feature in a recent 5–0 Scottish Cup win over Annan Athletic at Ibrox and impressed in flashes, yet even that outing underscored his standing in the squad hierarchy, beginning the match on the bench.
Before that cameo, his Rangers involvement had been almost non-existent. Matondo spent the second half of last season on loan at Hannover 96, and prior to a late appearance against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, he had not played a league match for Rangers since a draw away to Dundee last January.
Giovanni Bonifacio of F10 Scout, spoke in December about the winger’s stalled trajectory. “I think that every observer has ‘pupils’ seen young or very young for whom there are few explanations as to why it never really exploded. Here he is one of mine,” he said, arguing Matondo’s value lies in impact rather than pure technical traits.
Bonifacio believes system fit is key. He continued: “He also showed his qualities at Rangers. However, he must be placed in a context of an offensive team which wants to support him.”
He suggested Matondo’s spell at Hannover did not provide that environment and floated Spain or France as more suitable destinations, even proposing a developmental step in a second-tier league as a reset - a pathway he compared to that taken by Luis Javier Suárez before his rise.
For Rangers, the situation is now largely one of acceptance, with a high-earner unlikely to contribute significantly before walking away in the summer.