During the summer transfer window, Glasgow Rangers underwent a significant overhaul under head coach Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen. The focus was on refreshing the squad by bringing in younger talents while allowing seasoned players like Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, Connor Goldson, Scott Wright, Jon McLaughlin, and John Lundstram to depart.
The incoming young players—Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron, Oscar Cortes, Hamza Igamane, Mohammed Diomande, and Jefte—signal Rangers’ strategy of developing young talent to improve performances on the pitch and potentially sell for profit in the future. This approach aims to close the gap with rivals Celtic, who have a track record of selling players for significant sums, whereas Rangers have only sold one player, Calvin Bassey, for more than €15m.
Ryan Kent’s saga exemplifies the potential financial missteps Rangers have made in recent years. Kent initially joined on loan from Liverpool in 2018, following an underwhelming season with Freiburg and Barnsley. However, Kent thrived at Rangers, contributing six goals and nine assists in 43 appearances and earning the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award. This form prompted Rangers to sign him permanently for £7.5m in 2019.
Kent’s value continued to rise as his performances improved, particularly during the 2020/21 season, when he contributed 13 goals and 14 assists across all competitions, helping Rangers to an undefeated Premiership title. Despite his contributions, Rangers failed to capitalize on Kent’s rising market value, ultimately letting him leave without a significant transfer fee.
Rangers are now focused on avoiding similar scenarios by nurturing and selling young talents, aiming to build a more sustainable financial model akin to Celtic’s success in the transfer market.
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