Rangers risk losing multi-millions if they copy Celtic transfer ploy – Kris Boyd
Rangers risk losing millions of pounds if they go down the same transfer route as Celtic, according to Kris Boyd.
Celtic announced a £32millions profit before tax in their interim PLC report for the six months to December 2023 on Friday [23 February].
However, Celtic fans were unhappy with the club’s inactivity in the January transfer window, whereas Rangers brought in a few players.
Writing in his column for The Scottish Sun [23 February], Boyd said: “Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with Celtic’s ‘buy low, sell high’ strategy.
“The Parkhead board have been battered in the last few months but it’s been a successful model over the years. The main problem with that strategy is one or two bad windows can be really damaging.
“Rangers found that out to their cost a few years ago after winning the league. If they had added a few extra bits of quality, they might have kicked on more domestically.
“But a few bad transfer windows allowed Celtic to overtake them again domestically. Performance levels dipped at Ibrox because some new signings didn’t improve the squad.
“Celtic’s model is one Rangers will also use – but if your scouting and judgement isn’t spot on, millions can be wasted.”
Rangers transfer strategy made clear in January window
Celtic can organise the open top bus parade around Glasgow for the end of the season because they have won the battle of the spreadsheets.
As Boyd implies, it is all well and good bringing in money, but it is what you then do with it that really counts.
Rangers had a bad summer of transfer activity, albeit many of the underperforming players have since started firing under Philippe Clement.
The Gers’ transfer ploy for the next few years is already now clear to see – bring in some hidden gems who have room for improvement – Mohamed Diomande being a key example.
That is the type of signing Boyd suggests could backfire, given he came with a £4.5m price tag, but the club’s scouting network clearly liked what they saw.
Unlike previous regimes, there is now a clear strategy in place when it comes to transfers under Nils Koppen. Some transfers will inevitably be duds, but you can be sure there will be more hits than misses in the coming windows.
In other Rangers news, a player released by the Gers last year has now found himself a new club elsewhere in Scotland.
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