Rangers’ top 10 record transfer sales of all time

Glasgow Rangers’ success in the transfer market has been limited in recent years, with few players arriving at Ibrox going on to make a genuine long-term impression at the club.

This has stemmed from managers such as Michael Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst being given free rein over the budget, which has seen the likes of Sam Lammers, Ben Davies and Rabbi Matondo arriving without much impact on the field.

Indeed, both Davies and Lammers are not even at Ibrox anymore, while Matondo has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

Going forward, Philippe Clement should be targeting players who have plenty of sell-on potential while being able to contribute as soon as they join the club. This player-trading model should hopefully begin to pay dividends in the near future.

Celtic have utilised this system to great effect in recent years, recouping massive profits for players they signed for peanuts, allowing them to streak ahead of the chasing pack financially.

Van Bronckhorst may have sold Calvin Bassey and Nathan Patterson for club-record fees just months apart, but these are the only two success stories in recent years.

With this in mind, we have taken a look at the record transfer sales in the club’s history.

10

Nikica Jelavic

Rangers to Everton (£5.5m)

Nikica Jelavic joined the Ibrox side in the summer of 2010 for a fee in the region of £4m. Walter Smith was keen to bolster his attacking options and the Croatian striker was seen as an ideal long-term heir for Kris Boyd, who had just departed.

His first season was a major success. Not only did the striker help the Light Blues to a domestic double, claiming the League Cup and Scottish Premiership title, but he scored plenty of important goals during the campaign.

In the League Cup final against Celtic, Jelavic netted the winner during extra time to give Smith his last domestic trophy as Rangers boss, while he also scored 16 league goals in just 23 games, including one in the final-day win over Kilmarnock which saw the club claim their 54th title.

With Rangers suffering financial difficulties, Jelavic was sold to Everton for £5.5m, sealing a profit of £1.5m.

9

Joe Aribo

Rangers to Southampton (£6m)

Steven Gerrard signed Joe Aribo for just £300k due to cross-border transfer rules – and this would turn into a bargain.

He played 49 games in his first season, registering 17 goal contributions in the process, before winning his first trophy for the club in the 2020/21 campaign.

The Light Blues won their 55th league title – their first for a decade – by going undefeated that season, with Aribo shining in Gerrard’s system. Six goals and four assists in 26 league games proved crucial for the club as he shone alongside Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi.

His final season saw Aribo coming close to achieving immortality. The Nigerian netted the opener in the Europa League final, sparking rapturous scenes in Seville, but the Gers eventually lost the game on penalties.

Shortly after, he moved to Southampton for a fee of £6m, which could yet rise to £10m.

8

Tore Andre Flo

Rangers to Sunderland (£6.75m)

As of 2024, Tore Andre Flo remains the club’s most expensive signing, costing £12m in November 2000. He scored on his debut against Celtic before netting another 12 goals before the end of the season.

The 2001/02 campaign saw Flo at his best, netting 25 goals in all competitions and living up to the massive fee.

His future looked bright, yet when Sunderland came in with a £6.75m bid in August 2002, Alex McLeish accepted the offer, and he was off to the Premier League.

7

Barry Ferguson

Rangers to Blackburn (£7.5m)

Barry Ferguson can lay claim to being one of the most successful captains in the club’s history, helping the side win a treble during the 2002/03 campaign along with winning a handful of other honours, plus captaining the team to the 2008 UEFA Cup final.

Not just one of the best players at Rangers, Ferguson was arguably one of the finest midfielders in the UK at his peak. His form during that treble-winning season saw Blackburn Rovers make a £7.5m bid, which was duly accepted by the club amid financial issues at Ibrox.

18 months later, Ferguson was back at Rangers, where he went on to enjoy another four and a half years, winning another six major honours before leaving for good in 2009.

6

Carlos Cuellar

Rangers to Aston Villa (£7.8m)

Walter Smith had plenty of work to do during his first summer transfer window in his second spell at Ibrox. Indeed, he made a total of 13 signings in the summer of 2007.

Carlos Cuellar was among them, having impressed Smith and his backroom team during a UEFA Cup clash just months prior.

The Spaniard was a figure of consistency at Ibrox, playing 61 games in a campaign which saw Rangers win both domestic cups and reach the UEFA Cup final. His form clearly impressed clubs down south and there was no doubt that his future was away from Glasgow.

Before the 2008/09 season, Cuellar joined Aston Villa for a fee of around £7.8m, raking in a serious profit for Smith in the process.

5

Jean-Alain Boumsong

Rangers to Newcastle (£8m)

Midway through the 2003/04 season, Alex McLeish announced that Rangers had signed in-demand defender Jean-Alain Boumsong on a pre-contract deal, beating the likes of Arsenal and Inter to his signature.

It was a statement of intent and the Frenchman wasted no time in settling in, making 26 appearances during the first half of the season for the Gers.

However, his form was already attracting interest. Graeme Souness wanted him at Newcastle and an £8m offer was far too good to turn down, especially considering he didn’t cost a penny.

His form nosedived in England, failing to live up to the hype generated upon his arrival.

4

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

Rangers to Arsenal (£8.5m)

Dick Advocaat’s Dutch revolution at Ibrox began in 1998 as he signed numerous players from his homeland to bolster his team, including a young Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Across the next three seasons, the Dutchman would win five domestic trophies while going on to score three goals in the 2000/01 Champions League group stages, boosting his reputation in the process.

In the summer of 2001, Arsène Wenger came calling, securing the defender for a fee of around £8.5m, which was then a club-record sale for the Light Blues.

3

Alan Hutton

Rangers to Tottenham (£9m)

Alan Hutton emerged through the academy to become a regular in the senior side under Alex McLeish, but it was Walter Smith who took him to the next level.

An attack-minded right-back, Hutton was given free rein on the right side of defence under the veteran manager. He registered five assists during the first half of the 2007/08 season as Rangers looked to resume their domestic dominance.

However, English Premier League clubs were showing keen interest by January, and it was Spurs who eventually got their man, luring Hutton south for a fee of £9m, which broke the club’s record for its highest sale.

2

Nathan Patterson

Rangers to Everton (£11.5m)

Nathan Patterson looked like the heir apparent to Hutton. Both Scottish right-backs who loved going forward at every opportunity, the difference was that Hutton was given plenty of chances, whereas Patterson had to wait in the wings for James Tavernier to be injured or rested for his opportunity.

The youngster made his debut in January 2020 before going on to play just 27 times for the club. When Everton began to show interest with a £11.5m bid (potentially more including add-ons), it was an offer the Gers simply couldn’t turn down.

So far, his time down south hasn’t exactly gone to plan, with injuries disrupting his progress. If he can get fit and back into the starting XI, Patterson will have a chance to live up to his potential.

1

Calvin Bassey

Rangers to Ajax (£19.6m)

Like Aribo, Calvin Bassey was signed for peanuts due to cross-border transfer rules. Originally brought in as a talented prospect, the Nigerian made just 15 appearances in all competitions in his first season.

The 2021/22 campaign turned out a lot differently. An injury crisis in defence meant Bassey was partnered alongside Connor Goldson at the heart of defence, making a total of 50 appearances for the club, winning the Scottish Cup and helping the team reach the Europa League final.

Due to his performances, it didn’t take long for clubs to show interest, with Ajax looking most likely to sign him.

Indeed, an initial fee of £19.6m was agreed between the two clubs and the transfer was the highest sale in the Light Blues’ history as Van Bronckhorst made a wonderful profit on the defender.

Since then, Bassey spent a year in the Netherlands before making a move to Fulham, where he is now impressing in the Premier League.