Regardless of how the season ends for Rangers, Philippe Clement has a summer of tremendous upheaval to contend with. Recent games have demonstrated that while the Belgian has done a wonderful job in lifting his motley, unequal squad up by the bootstraps and back into the title fight, he’s hardly a miracle worker.

There’s been much talk of his players’ lack of winning mindset and desire after losing their grip on the title race. The truth, ruthlessly exposed by Ross County and Dundee, is that this squad lacks adequate quality to produce as consistently as required over the course of a long season. It’s that simple.

Compare Celtic’s spine against Rangers’; Joe Hart, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor and Kyogo versus Jack Butland, Connor Goldson, John Lundstram and Cyriel Dessers. Even the most myopic follower of the Ibrox club would undoubtedly concede one is substantially stronger. Of the two team’s backbone, only Butland would play from the start in a combined XI while Dessers wouldn’t even be second choice, with Adam Idah a better rounded forward.

With five Premiership games left Rangers may yet capture the trophy, but if they do it’s the Ibrox club’s single greatest domestic managerial success in decades, and maybe ever. That’s the scale of the challenge they face.

Yes, Celtic have had a patchwork season, typified by erratic performances, often both fantastic and horrible in the same 90 minutes. For a time, it looked a case of when the wheels would come off, not if. And yet, as players have returned from injuries, they’ve steadily improved and steadied. They are no great shakes but given a three-point advantage the title is theirs to lose.

The danger of Rangers being weakened further surfaced in midweek with dramatic news from the desert. Saudi club Al-Ettifaq, led by Steven Gerrard, are apparently interested in transferring the cornerstone of the Ibrox club’s defence – plus its captain and vice-captain – to the Kingdom next season.

While it’s easy to view this news with a pinch of salt as an apparent and lazy link given Gerrard’s history with the two players, the Saudi media has form in recent times, exposing Jota’s £25m departure from Parkhead in the summer.

For the players, the issue can be summed up in two terms – money talks. If Jordan Henderson can be prised out of Liverpool, don’t doubt that anyone from Scotland would follow. While both are amongst the best-paid in the country their wages would undoubtedly be doubled, trebled, maybe even quadrupled. And all of it tax-free. Tavernier is 32, Goldson 31. With years running out, it would be the ultimate final payoff.

While Tavernier, in particular, is known to be very established in Glasgow, yet two or three years of that money would insure his family’s lifestyle for the rest of his days. That sort of decision demands careful deliberation in a business where a miss-timed tackle or awkward landing may wipe away a career in a split second.

He would be afraid of facing such a cultural transformation off the field while the shift in levels onto it are not to be overlooked. Henderson only lasted a few months at Al-Ettifaq while other major names are thought to be anxious to return to Europe. The Dammam club have a 15,000 stadium but sometimes fail to coax any more than 5000 through the turnstiles. Away games are equally terrible with some failing to draw in even a thousand people. It’s a vastly different environment from what’s presented at Ibrox every second week.

Of the two, you’d expect Goldson might be most likely to take an offer. His relationship with Rangers fans has been a rollercoaster for a while now and his recent form has been the worst of his tenure in Scotland. Many supporters, perhaps unfairly as Goldson strongly maintains, struggle to forgive him for his part in the Europa League final equaliser that led to a penalty shoot-out loss against Frankfurt.

He cut a weary figure when asked about the demands of the club on a podcast earlier this week saying: “It’s fantastic but it’s challenging. Mentally, physically… I think you have to come here and be a specific type of person to survive. In the good times, it’s the best club in the world, it’s amazing. There are nights and days you will encounter… You don’t get many clubs that supply you with that but with the highs come the lows and I’ve been through hard patches here and it’s tough. The fans are demanding.”

Should Gerrard decide to pursue the duo, Clement will have things to think. The Belgian knows that the exits would free up a large amount of the pay bill while he’d also be banking two healthy transfer fees to allow important executives to go away. Suddenly a summer reconstruction of the group in his own image would be lot easier to pull off.

That thinks replacing their quality would be doable. Replacing Goldson is one thing but finding someone to match Tavernier, now on 24 goals and 10 assists this season from right-back, is close on impossible. Only when he’s gone will people begin to understand just how terrific the Englishman has been and continues to be for the Light Blues.

However, age can’t be defied in perpetuity. There have already been modest hints that Tavernier isn’t quite the physical dynamo he once was. Does he get up and down with quite the same elan? Is he still as swift over 10 yards? The jury is out on both of those queries. One thing that can’t be contested is his ability to convey inspiration through acts. People doubt his medal haul but history is riddled with brilliant players hindered by the brilliance surrounding them. That’s Tavernier’s story.

Perhaps the first person whose door the Rangers manager would approach when pondering such difficulties is the club’s recruitment guru Nils Koppen. If the former PSV talent-spotter can locate players further up the pitch who can make up for Tavernier’s level of return, perhaps Dujon Sterling is poised to take over the role permanently. He’s clearly a more natural defender than his captain and, at 24 has his finest years ahead of him.

While Rangers will be reluctant to embark on another rebuild, after a summer of massive player upheaval, it’s what’s required – win or lose. Celtic will not be as weak next term.

While the club’s directors and investors committed to spending money, there’s not a king’s ransom sloshing about. Sales will have to be made to fund modifications. It’s also worth remembering that Mohamed Diomande’s transfer fee is already £4.5m committed to be spent in the summer. Fellow loanee Oscar Cortes, who appeared a probable purchase before his injury, wouldn’t be cheap either.

Clement has tough judgments to make in every area. Saudi money would likely make things a lot easier.