Rangers must give Michael Beale cash boost as £455k Celtic World Cup news emerges
Rangers must give Michael Beale a cash boost after it was revealed that Celtic are set to receive over £450,000 due to players representing their countries at the World Cup.
FIFA announced in October that they would distribute £168million to clubs of players who are representing their countries in Qatar, with each day being worth an estimated £8,000 per player (The Scotsman, 14 December).
Josip Juranović and Borna Barisic both represented Croatia in Qatar, and have earnt the Old Firm a significant sum of money. Croatia enjoyed a successful competition, with Zlatko Dalić’s team reaching the semi-final before being knocked out by pre-tournament favourites Argentina.
Barisic was away with the national team for 39 days, which will mean the Gers will receive £280,000 from FIFA. However, Celtic had four players present in Qatar and are set to earn significantly more.
Every little helps when it comes to adding quality to the squad and it’s now up to the board to ensure Rangers aren’t financially outmuscled by their Old Firm rivals.
Despite £280,000 being a relatively small sum in modern-day football, it could help Michael Beale complete the business that he feels is needed to get his squad back competing on the domestic front. January is the first chance for the 42-year-old to begin his squad overhaul, with a number of players out of contract in the summer.
Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos are the most high-profile names whose futures need addressing, with Beale set to decide if he wishes to cash in on the pair in January or give them a chance to prove their worth in the second half of the season.
Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack are also contract concerns for the Rangers boss, with the senior pair facing uncertain futures. When looking to add to the squad the £280,000 could be the difference when it comes to Beale landing a specific player.
Celtic are likely to use this cash boost to their advantage and it’s absolutely vital for the Gers to compete with their fierce rivals when it comes to the calibre of player they’re targeting next month.
In other Rangers news, an out-of-court agreement could be reached for the Gers as documents have been submitted.