Rangers manager Philippe Clement has been clear that this summer was as much about cutting the club’s inflated wage bill as it was about rebuilding the squad.
The Gers have seen a substantial overhaul with 12 players heading out the door and 11 coming in by the time the window slammed shut on Friday evening.
Here we assess just how much Rangers have cut from the Ibrox wage bill by looking at all those names who’ve left the club in this summer’s transfer window.
We’ll see how much Rangers have saved as the average age of the squad plummets and the Ibrox side strip back their spending.
How much did Rangers cut from squad’s wage bill?
Philippe Clement has been pretty clear about his unhappiness at the management of player contracts in the Rangers squad.
There have been a number of high earning assets who’ve left at the end of their contracts over the last two summers.
This campaign started with Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Jon McLaughlin and Kemar Roofe leaving.
As the window progressed, Rangers then saw a number of high-earning players move on with Connor Goldson, Sam Lammers and Jose Cifuentes being shipped out.
Robby McCrorie left in search of first-team football at Kilmarnock, whilst Ben Davies, Scott Wright and Todd Cantwell left in a flurry of exit activity come the end of the window.
* salary figures sourced from Salary Sport
**Figures don’t include loan players coming to end of contracts
Connor Goldson – £37k per week, £1.9m per annum
Ben Davies – £27k per week, £1.4m per annum
Kemar Roofe – £26k per week, £1.3m per annum
Todd Cantwell – £22k per week, £1.15m per annum
John Lundstram – £22k per week, £1.15m per annum
Borna Barisic – £21k per week, £1.1m per annum
Sam Lammers – £18k per week, £950k per annum
Jose Cifuentes – £16k per week, £850k per annum
John Souttar – £8k per week, £420k per annum
Ryan Jack – £8k per week, £420k per annum
Robby McCrorie – £5.7k per week, £300k per annum
Scott Wright – £5.6k per week, £290k per annum
APPROX. TOTAL PER WEEK – £216k per week, £11.32m per annum
Premier League director sums up Rangers conundrum
Whilst some of the money cut from the Rangers wage bill will have gone back into the squad, you can bet there’s been a substantial amount cut as a result of these outgoings.
Rangers had to shift the underachievers out of the club’s squad whilst bringing both the annual wage bill and average age of the team down over the summer.
The club has managed to do that but this is just the beginning as Rangers look to take a new direction and deliver silverware for expectant supporters.
It’s not something which will be achieved overnight and there will need to be some patience.
Whilst the details of Rangers’ revamped wage expenditure will be revealed in due course, the Ibrox side aren’t the only club who’ve been left with an overpaid, underachieving, ageing squad in the past.
Arsenal sporting director Edu summed up the situation perfectly as he gave fans an indirect reality check with regards the job Nils Koppen is doing in Glasgow.
“First of all we have to see the age of the player,” said Edu when quizzed on the ‘art of squad building’.
“Then we have to see the salary of the player. Third you have to see the performance of the player.
“So if you have a player over 26, 27 you need attention. If his salary is high you need attention, but he is performing you can accept.
“And if he’s not performing, you’re dead.
“If you have those three elements and one of them went over 28, you started to be uncomfortable, it’s better to you, move on.
“Because maybe this player is blocking someone younger as an asset to help you.
“When I came into Arsenal, with all my respect, almost everyone was over 26, 27, big salaries, not performing.
“If you have those three elements, which club in the world wants to come here and buy one of our players? No one.”
