Glasgow Rangers transfer business in recent seasons has not as good as it should have been.
The likes of Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale both spent lavish sums of money on players such as Antonio Colak, Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers. Of course, there have been the odd one or two signings who have arrived at Ibrox and exceeded expectations, but in general, recruitment has been poor.
Philippe Clement appears to have a much better understanding of the players he wants in his squad and how he can build for the future. in turn, this has resulted in him making three excellent signings during January.
Fabio Silva, Oscar Cortes, and Mohamed Diomande are all aged 22 or under, while the trio all have something to prove.
Between them, they have scored seven goals during the second half of the season. Clement is clearly trying to establish a proper player trading programme at Ibrox and this could pay dividends in the future.
A few players have cost the club next to nothing before departing for lavish fees, most notably Calvin Bassey. The defender left for Ajax in a deal worth just under £23m in 2022 and this is the biggest ever sale in the club’s history.
Is it though? As going by football inflation, the Gers sold a player in 2005 who raked in a fee bigger than Bassey’s while even being worth more than one of the best defenders on the planet, Virgil Van Dijk.
How much Rangers paid for Jean-Alain Boumsong
Following an incredible treble-winning campaign in 2002/03, Alex McLeish was having a tougher time of it during the first half of the subsequent season.
The Light Blues had finished bottom of their Champions League group, while trailing Celtic in the chase for the league title, and the manager knew he needed to strengthen his side.
Club
Games
Goals
AJ Auxerre
174
6
Olympique Lyon
85
5
Panathinaikos
75
6
Newcastle United
59
0
Le Harve
47
1
Juventus
36
3
Rangers
28
2
Jean-Alain Boumsong was one of the most highly rated young defenders in Europe, with Liverpool, Inter Milan and Arsenal showing interest in the Auxerre player, yet he surprisingly sealed a pre-contract deal to join Rangers in December 2003.
"I have talked to other clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal and Inter Milan. But they keep on telling me to wait,” said Boumsong.
"And I'm not prepared to wait for them when Rangers are showing how much they want me in Glasgow."
The Frenchman linked up with his new teammates ahead of the 2004/05 campaign, but it was to be a rather short-lived move.
Jean-Alain Boumsong’s transfer value in 2024 money
The centre-back played just 28 games for the Gers before his performances started to attract interest.
Newcastle United eventually made an offer of £8m during the 2005 January transfer window and considering their poor financial status at the time, it was an offer far too good to turn down.
As per the Totally Money Index, it states that Newcastle paid a fee of £10.1m to secure his signature and this represented a significant profit on the player who did not cost a single penny just six months prior.
In 2024 money however – with Totally Money adjusted for inflation over the years – that transfer fee would be worth a mind-blowing £36.5m, which shows just how big a deal it was back in 2005 for McLeish.
This fee outstrips Bassey by over £10m, while it makes Boumsong valued more than Liverpool defender Van Dijk, who has been one of the most consistent performers in world football over the previous few seasons.
Virgil Van Dijk’s market value
Since joining from Southampton in January 2018, the Dutchman has made 258 appearances for the Anfield side, winning every major honour available to him during that time at least once.
This season, the centre-back has been a colossus at the back for the Merseyside outfit, winning a staggering 5.9 total duels per game – a success rate of 78% – along with losing possession just 7.4 times per game, as his displays have given the Reds a fantastic chance of winning the Premier League and Europa League during Jürgen Klopp’s final season in charge.
According to Football Transfers, his current market valuation stands at €26.5m (£22.6m) and due to his age, this will continue to fall as time goes on.
This means that Boumsong’s transfer, judged by inflation, means he was valued at nearly £14m more than the current Liverpool titan.
Jean-Alain Boumsong’s legacy at Rangers
The 6 foot 3 brute was a success in Scottish football during his brief stint under McLeish between June 2004 and January 2005.
The physical nature of the game did not faze him at all, as he used his brute strength and physicality to overpower opposition forwards, while he was also capable of chipping in with the odd goal or two, scoring against Hibs and Dunfermline in the league.
A player of his quality was never going to remain at Ibrox for long, although McLeish surely would have envisaged him staying until at least the end of the 2004/05 campaign before sealing a move away.
Perhaps his legacy, if that is the correct term, is judged on how big an impact he made in such a short space of time. Nobody since has arrived with such high expectations and not only delivered but managed to secure the club a serious profit in the transfer market in the process.
If he remained in Glasgow for another year or two, there is no doubt he may have a better reputation among the supporters, as his career didn’t quite reach the heights it should have done.
Spells at Newcastle, Lyon and Juventus all failed to bring out the best in the Frenchman before he rounded off his career at Greek side Panathinaikos.
Rangers certainly struck gold on the former Auxerre starlet, however, as not many clubs can sign a player for nothing before selling him for £8m (or £10m as stated by Totally Money) a mere six months down the line.
If Clement can replicate this type of transfer in the coming years, the Gers' finances will improve rapidly.
