Rangers focused more on cutting the club’s inflated wage bill than they did on making new signings this winter.
Rafael Fernandes is the only new addition at Rangers and fills the slot in the squad currently left vacant by the injured Neraysho Kasanwirjo.
But beyond the Portuguese defender Rangers have instead shipped a number of underperforming stars off the wage bill to relieve the financial pressure at Ibrox.
Rangers reduce wage bill with winter exits
Rangers cut the club’s wage bill by £6m in the summer in a series of downsizing measures to offset the £17m operating loss of last season.
At the same time, the structure of the Rangers squad wasn’t conducive to successful player trading or giving youth a chance at Ibrox.
Now Rangers are taking a much more mindful and youthful approach to transfers but in order to do so still need to cut loose the dead weight that’s dragging the team down.
With Kieran Dowell and Rabbi Matondo the headline departures this January, Rangers have freed up over £2m from the club’s stretched annual wage bill.
Rangers have also sanctioned the exits of Alex Lowry, Cole McKinnon, Robbie Fraser and Adam Devine, freeing up another £600k per annum.
If these figures are correct Rangers should make a saving of around £1.3m between now and the end of the season.
Wages of Rangers players who left Ibrox this January (Salary Sport)
- Rabbi Matondo – £23k per week, £1.196m per annum
- Kieran Dowell – £16k per week, £832k per annum
- Alex Lowry – £6.5k per week, £338k per annum
- Adam Devine – £2.5k per week, £130k per annum
- Cole McKinnon – £1.4k per week, £73k per annum
- Robbie Fraser – £700 per week, £36k per annum
- TOTAL: £50.1k per week, £2.605m per annum
Rangers could make £4.5m saving on quartet
Nils Koppen faces an almighty task to cut the Rangers wage bill even further this summer.
Rabbi Matondo (Hannover 96) and Kieran Dowell (Birmingham City) have only left Ibrox temporarily and the pressure is on to find them permanent homes in the months ahead.
Rangers are also under pressure to get the likes of Birmingham loanee Ben Davies (£26k per week, £1.4m per season) and Tom Lawrence (£22k per week, £1.144m) off the wage bill permanently.
These four players in particular have not contributed anywhere near enough to justify their inflated salaries.
We suspect Koppen has already taken note.
Rangers can free up £4.5m per season with their exits with the club still paying the price of inflated contracts handed out to English Championship players.
