Seeing former Rangers players go for serious money always hits the same nerve. It’s pride, obviously, because we helped put them on the stage. But it’s also a reminder of the level we were operating at not that long ago, and how far away it can feel now.
The point about Calvin Bassey is pretty straightforward. If you’re talking fees in the tens of millions, then you’re talking a market Rangers simply don’t shop in. Even if a deal was somehow “available”, the bigger question is why he’d come back at that point in his career. Players want momentum, progression, the next step. They look at the standard of the squad and the direction of the club, and they make their call from there.
It’s not just about money, it’s about where we are
That’s the bit that stings. It’s not only that we can’t afford the return of certain names, it’s that it feels like we’ve been chasing the version of ourselves that reached a proper level in Europe and looked like a team with a clear ceiling still to break. Since then, it’s been more stop-start. Different plans, different rebuilds, and plenty of frustration along the way.
You can dress it up as “football cycles”, and to be fair that’s true to an extent. But Rangers are Rangers. The expectation is to be on top in Scotland and credible in Europe. When that drops, supporters notice it instantly.
Igamane and the selling problem
The mention of Igamane’s value shooting up is another reminder of the same theme: we’ve not always maximised what we’ve had. If a player’s value jumps after leaving, fans are entitled to ask why Rangers weren’t the club benefiting from that rise, or at least why we couldn’t hang onto the asset long enough to properly profit from it.
That’s not about moaning for the sake of it. It’s about the model. Rangers need to be sharp in the market because we don’t have a blank cheque. Recruitment, development, timing the sales, reinvesting well. That’s how you narrow gaps.
UEFA’s multi-club rules are a separate worry
On top of all the football stuff, UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules are clearly tightening, and the examples raised (like Crystal Palace, Lyon and Drogheda United) show there’s not much wiggle room when deadlines and “decisive influence” come into it. If CAS is backing exclusions, then clubs can’t assume common sense will win out late in the day.
For Rangers, the takeaway is simple: qualification matters, but compliance and clarity matter too. We need to be squeaky clean off the park as well as effective on it, because Europe is too important to lose to admin.
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