Top 10 most expensive Rangers signings of all-time: From Mikel Arteta to multi-million Dick Advocaat shocker
Rangers have signed many top-class players for multi-million pound deals over the years.
Alongside Celtic, the Bears have brought brilliant players to Govan, exponentially raising the level of Scottish football.
Rangers had a busy 2025-26 transfer window, with Kevin Thelwell coming under fire for splurging the cash on unproven players.
Ibrox News now brings you the top 10 most expensive Rangers signings of all time.
10. Oscar Cortes – £4.5m from RC Lens
Oscar Cortes spent two seasons on loan at Rangers between 2023 and 2025 before sealing a £4.5million move from Lens.
Cortes’ move has been criticised by Ally McCoist, as the 21-year-old winger has been sent out on loan to Sporting Gijon.
The decision to loan Cortes might be an error, as wingers Mikey Moore and Oliver Antman are failing to impress in Govan this season.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2023/24 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| 2024/25 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
The transfer looks to be a huge waste of funds, and it’s up to Cortes to show his worth when he returns from his loan spell.
9. Arthur Numan – £4.5m from PSV Eindhoven
Arthur Numan proved to be huge success for the Light Blues following his arrival in 1998.
The full-back would go on to win 10 major honours at Ibrox, and at the age of 29, his experience on the pitch allowed younger talents to grow.
Numan was brought to Glasgow by Dick Advocaat and was an integral part of the first team during five years at the club.
After winning the 2002-03 treble with the Bears, Numan finally retired from football.
8. Giovanni van Bronckhorst – £5.25m from Feyenoord
1998 also saw Giovanni van Bronckhorst join Rangers under Advocaat, with the left-back leaving his boyhood club Feyenoord for Govan.
The Dutch international’s versatility was invaluable, and he spent three years at the club before leaving to join Arsenal for a reported fee of £8.5m in 2001.
That was not the end of van Bronckhorst’s story, as he became the manager of Rangers in 2021.
Van Bronckhorst led Rangers to the 2022 Europa League final, where they lost on penalties to Frankfurt, before he was eventually sacked just a few months later in November.
7. Andrey Kanchelskis – £5.5m from Fiorentina
Andrey Kanchelskis was yet another player to join the class of ’98, arriving in G51 for a reported fee of £5.5m.
The Russian winger was an exciting talent on his day, and spent three successful years in the first team.
He won six major honours for the Bears and was a major part of the 1998-99 treble-winning team.
In the 2001-02 season, he was loaned out to Manchester City before permanently leaving to join Southampton the following year.
6. Danilo – £6m from Feyenoord
Danilo came to Ibrox with huge promise in 2023, having notched 14 goals for Feyenoord the season before.
Having joined for a fee of £6m, Danilo has been an underwhelming signing.
- Has scored 12 goals in 58 appearances for the Light Blues
- Scored in Rangers’ 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League this season
- Has not made a start in the last four Rangers matches
With Miovski and Chermiti arriving late in the transfer window, Danilo has found himself third in the pecking order.
An exit is on the cards for Danilo, who is yet another recent signing that has failed to live up to his potential.
5. Mikel Arteta – £6m from Barcelona
Mikel Arteta came to Ibrox in 2002 for a fee of £6m, with Rangers being the first of three British clubs he played for in his career.
He was also part of the side that won the treble in 2003, and his creativity in midfield lit up Ibrox.
He left for Real Sociedad two years later, but enjoyed a successful playing career at Everton and Arsenal.
Arteta has managed the Gunners since 2019, propelling them back onto the grandest stage of European football.
4. Michael Ball – £6.5m from Everton
Michael Ball’s reported £6.5m move to Govan did not go as planned.
Brought in by Advocaat in 2001, Ball swore at his coach during his first match for Rangers, resulting in a £10,000 fine.
A severe injury overshadowed his time at Rangers, scoring just two goals in 52 appearances.
After five seasons with the club, Ball was eventually phased out of the first team, as Rangers had to pay Everton £500,000 if he were to surpass 60 appearances for the Bears.
He left in 2005 to join PSV for a fee of just £500,000.
3. Ryan Kent – £7m from Liverpool
Ryan Kent was signed for a fee of £7.5m (including add-ons), with the English winger impressing during his loan spell in 2018-2019.
Kent was hugely influential in Rangers’ 2020-21 title-winning squad, registering 24 goal contributions in 52 matches.
His availability for the Light Blues was key, and he played over 40 games in four of his five seasons at the club.
Kent left Rangers in 2023, where he has since played for Fenerbahce and Seattle Sounders.
2. Youssef Chermiti – £10m from Everton
Youssef Chermiti joined Rangers this summer for an initial fee of £8m, with add-ons taking the figure into double-digits.
Chermiti’s move has been scrutinised, with Russell Martin facing pressure to get the best out of the 21-year-old.
The Portuguese forward came to G51 having not scored a senior goal for Everton in his two-year stint at the club.
Chermiti is currently a back-up striker to Bojan Miovski, with Rangers fans waiting to see if he can prove to be a success at Ibrox.
1. Tore Andre Flo – £12m from Chelsea
Tore Andre Flo remains to this day Rangers’ most expensive signing as he joined Advocaat’s squad in 1998.
Flo joined the Bears with huge promise, with his goalscoring record highlighting his prolific nature in front of goal.
Whilst some may argue that registering 40 goal contributions is successful, fans at the time felt that Flo could have offered more given his lofty price tag.
Flo was part of the squad that completed the Cup double in 2001-2002 before leaving Rangers for a move to Sunderland worth £6.75m.
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