Rangers’ misguided transfer business is one of the biggest culprits in the club’s recent lack of success.
Over the last three seasons Rangers have doled out expensive contracts to perennial underachievers and have paid the price as Philippe Clement struggles through the club’s latest evolution.
Rangers raked in a measly £800k from their summer sales, the likes of Sam Lammers, Todd Cantwell and Connor Goldson on such extravagant wages it made sense to cut them loose on the cheap.
There are several still technically contracted to Rangers who are set to give Nils Koppen and co a similar headache come the summer.
But as the four first-team loanees who are currently out at Rangers impress elsewhere, is there a question to be asked about the culture both inside Auchenhowie and Ibrox?
Rangers quartet impressing out on loan
Kieran Dowell has made headlines this week for his performances since moving out on loan to Birmingham City in January.
Blues boss Chris Davies admits he’s been ‘impressed’ by the ex-Norwich and Everton midfielder, who opened his account for Birmingham City this week.
Dowell has spoken about resetting after leaving Rangers, suggesting a lack of opportunities impacted his confidence in Glasgow.
It’s not just Dowell who is impressing at St Andrews either, with Rangers defender Ben Davies a key feature of the club’s League One campaign this season.
Both players, who earn a combined £2.2m per year at Ibrox, look in line to make the switches permanent in the summer.
Rangers also shipped out Rabbi Matondo this January, the pacey winger scoring on his debut for Bundesliga 2 side Hannover 96.
Rangers will recoup around £1m from the ex-Schalke star should Matondo help fire Hannover – who are 7th in a right German second flight – to the Bundesliga.
Jose Cifuentes, another of Rangers’ high earners, has spoken this week about his hopes of winning the championship with Aris Thessaloniki in Greece.
| Loan club | Weekly wage | Yearly wage | |
| Ben Davies | Birmingham City | £27k | £1.4m |
| Rabbi Matondo | Hannover 96 | £23k | £1.2m |
| Jose Cifuentes | Aris Thessaloniki | £16k | £830k |
| Kieran Dowell | Birmingham City | £16k | £830k |
| TOTAL | £82k | £4.26m |
What went wrong for Rangers loanees?
Whilst Rangers will be relieved to see these four high-earners making a positive impression out on loan, the situation raises major questions at ibrox.
Not least in Rangers’ transfer dealings, or in the doling out of these contracts, with the salaries of all four players costing the club over £4m every season.
The fact that the players are performing out of Ibrox also points to things not working out in Glasgow despite them being capable.
Whether this comes down to the player’s application or how they were managed at Rangers is up for discussion but this has been a common theme at Ibrox in recent seasons.
It also brings into question the often toxic culture which has surrounded Rangers in recent seasons, as the club struggles to contain what has been a drastic downturn.
These players might not have been up for it at Ibrox, but how much is that down to the intense scrutiny of life in Glasgow?
