Rangers face impossible challenge as £400m+ finance update revealed

Rangers face an impossible challenge to compete at the highest level of European Competition as Manchester City's wage bill for their treble-winning side was revealed at £422.9million.

The CL, Premier League and FA Cup winners released their financial accounts as they recorded a Premier League record £712.8million revenue [BBC, 15 November].

Official Gers partner the Heart & Hand Podcast reacted to the news on Twitter as they shared that the wage bill of the treble-winners is more than the turnover of every Scottish club combined.

Rangers, of course, failed to qualify for the Champions League this season after losing to PSV Eindhoven in the qualifying rounds, but how can they be expected to compete when clubs are paying wages far higher than Rangers even turnover?

Qualification for Champions League football is a crucial part of the club's financial and on-field ambitions, with group stage qualification alone worth £13.7million [GOAL, 6 June], compared to £3.3million in the Europa League [GOAL, 31 May].

When this income simply from qualifying is such a key issue for Rangers, and Celtic for that matter, but clubs like Manchester City can afford to spend such ludicrous money on their wage bill, it is becoming more and more difficult for Scottish clubs to compete.

The disparity between the top clubs and the rest in football is becoming ever clearer, even clubs the size of Rangers are now unable to compete with the financial might of the Premier League in particular, and something must be done to level the playing field.

In other Rangers news, a £5million man could be given the chance to revive his Ibrox career.