Rangers produced one of the all-time Scottish football European away days to open up a solid advantage over Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
The Gers ran out 3-1 winners over Fenerbahce in Istanbul in a disciplined performance built off the back of a tactical switch straight out the Barry Ferguson playbook.
Whilst the result will come as a surprise to many across Europe – the financial disparity between the two sides evident in the makeup of their squads – Rangers fans have grown accustomed to this underperforming team growing a few inches taller on the continent.
But to put into perspective just how grand the difference between the two clubs in terms of spending power is, we need to analyse both the Rangers and Fenerbahce squads.
Fenerbahce spend big transfer fees to bolster squad
The Fenerbahce team who took to the field against Rangers might have been getting on a little but it retained a star-studded feel backed by Turkish millions.
Jose Mourinho might’ve hinted at a move to Scotland but the legendary Portuguese manager also doesn’t come cheap.
The Daily Mail report that Fenerbahce are paying Jose Mourinho a quite incredible €12m (£10m) annually to take charge in Istanbul and that’s before we get on to the players.
Fenerbahce have spent substantially to try and make their side a competitive force at the top of the Turkish Super Lig and in UEFA competition.
What the club hasn’t spent on expensive transfer fees, they are doling out on wages.
That’s the price you pay for the likes of Edin Dzeko and Dusan Tadic, who between them are rumoured to be banking over €8m per year on wages and bonuses.
Fenerbache squad cost
GK – Irfan Can Egribayat – €1.7m (£1.4m) (NTV)
DC – Caglar Soyuncu – €8M (£6.7m) (Marca)
DC – Milan Skriniar – loan
DC – Yusuf Akcicek – academy
RM – Mert Muldur – €3.5m (£2.9m) (Fabrizio Romano)
CM – Sebastian Szymanski – €9.75m (£8.2m) (KAP)
CM – Sofyan Amrabat – €18m (£15m) (Fabrizio Romano)
LM – Filip Kostic – loan
CAM – Dusan Tadic – free transfer
ST – Edin Dzeko – free transfer
ST – Youssef En-Nesyri – €20m (£16.8m) (Reuters)
SUBS:
Alexander Djiku – free transfer
Irfan Can Kahveci – €7m (£5.9m) (KAP)
Talisca – €18m (£15m) (Athletic)
Allan Saint-Maximin – loan, wages for the year €4.5m (£3.8m) (TalkSPORT)
TOTAL COST IN FEES: €90.45m (£76m)
Rangers transfer costs dwarfed by Turkish giants
Conversely, the Rangers squad has been built on a shoestring budget after the club went through a summer of substantial downsizing.
According to the Rangers Review, Rangers cut £6m off their annual wage bill in the summer as several of the club’s most experienced players left at the end of their contracts.
Rangers also banked only a measly £800k to shift no fewer than five high-earners out the door, the club agreeing cut price deals to ease the pressure on the stretched wage bill.
With a substantial turnover of players in the summer, Rangers have had to build what is a talented young squad with little money.
Whilst it has had a sizeable impact domestically, it hasn’t stopped the young Gers upstarts punching above their weight in Europe.
Unless specified, the transfer fees in the Rangers squad are taken from this Rangers transfer history 2016 to present day article.
Rangers squad cost
GK – Jack Butland – free transfer
DR – Ridvan Yilmaz – £5m
DC – James Tavernier – £200k (BBC Sport)
DC – John Souttar – free transfer
DC – Robin Propper – £1.5m
DL – Jefte – £680k
CM – Mohamed Diomande – £4.3m
CM – Nicolas Raskin – £1.75m
CM – Connor Barron – £640k
ST – Cyriel Dessers – £4.5m
ST – Vaclav Cerny – loan
SUBS:
Tom Lawrence – free transfer
Dujon Sterling – free transfer
Leon Balogun – free transfer
Hamza Igamane – £1.7m
Ianis Hagi – £3m
TOTAL COST IN FEES: £23.27m
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RANGERS AND FENERBAHCE: £52.73m
