When Rangers sold Glen Kamara to Leeds United last summer, there was a feeling of regret attached to the transfer.
Whilst Rangers recouped around £5m from the sale of Kamara to the Elland Road side, this was half the amount on offer in Ligue 1 the year previously.
Hanging on to the Finnish international for a season too long wound up costing Rangers as much as £5m and furthered intensified scrutiny on an underperforming recruitment department.
It’s just one story in a long line of player trading disasters from the ill-fated reign of Ross Wilson in Glasgow.
And the latest transfer reports surrounding Glen Kamara don’t exactly make for good reading in this regard either, even if the Gers are set for a welcome cash boost.
Leeds almost double Kamara investment
Rewind to the summer of 2022 and Giovanni van Bronckhorst had just reached the Europa League Final and won the Scottish Cup with Rangers.
Whilst the jury was out on the Dutchman’s credentials in the Scottish Premiership, a bigger summer of investment was expected in Glasgow.
As part of that, the future of several players – not least Glen Kamara – was under the microscope as Rangers looked to move on from the Steven Gerrard era.
But, as we’re sure you don’t need reminding, Rangers stayed still and eventually Gio paid the price.
Glen Kamara, who did not seem keen on remaining at Rangers after Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo left the club, also saw £10m links to OGC Nice collapse on deadline day.
Fast forward exactly one year later and in the closing stages of last summer’s transfer window, Kamara negotiated a £5m move to promotion chasing Leeds United.
As explained by leading Rangers insiders Four Lads Had a Dream, the Gers also inserted a series of add-ons into the deal.
Whilst Rangers missed out on a Kamara cash-boost after Leeds were beaten in the Championship Playoff Final, an additional payday is now expected this summer.
That’s because – according to Fabrizio Romano at least – Glen Kamara is reportedly closing in on a €10m (£8.6m) move to Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais.
Rangers – who the Daily Record believe have a 10% sell-on attached to the deal – would on first glance be in line to bank £860k from the sale.
But with sell-ons generally concerning any profit, it’s more likely to be closer to 10% of the £3.6m profit Leeds will reportedly make on the transfer (£360k).
Rangers player trading failure costs club
Don’t get us wrong, there is cause for celebration at Ibrox here.
Glen Kamara famously cost Rangers £50k when he signed from Dundee in the January of 2019 and was a pivotal player as the club celebrated mixed domestic and European success.
Winning the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup, Glen also scored in the Europa League semi-final against RB Leipzig at Ibrox.
In short, the midfielder did us a solid turn, making 193 appearances across four-and-a-half seasons in Glasgow.
But where we take umbrage is with regards Rangers’ staggering inability to secure top value for their players at the apex of their Ibrox careers.
Philippe Clement has been clear about the need for change – perhaps too apprehensively so ahead of the new campaign – but there have been too many transfer failures over the years to keep count.
Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Filip Helander left last summer without so much as a bean being generated.
The same happened this summer with Borna Barisic, John Lundstram and Kemar Roofe.
These were all handsomely paid players who at various junctures of their Rangers careers might’ve fetched us a profit or at least some investment.
Whilst in Glen Kamara could recoup Rangers the best part of £5.5m, there’s a sinking feeling that it could’ve, and probably should’ve, been at least £4.5m more.
