Glasgow Rangers face five more matches which could make or break their season. Four in the Premiership and the Scottish Cup final.
Winning all five is the only way Philippe Clement can lead the Light Blues to a stunning treble, just nine months after joining the club.
Whatever happens, Rangers finally have a manager who looks like he can take the club to the next level, but he will need to be suitably backed during the summer transfer window.
If January is anything to go by, the Belgian will be targeting a plethora of young talents who could be ready to make an impact in the first team, before being sold for a profit after a few years of development at Ibrox.
This player trading model is arguably the best way to go with regard to bringing in plenty of future income from player sales, as opposed to the method that is currently being utilised which sees ageing or underperformers leaving for nothing.
Clement may already have a wonderful talent in his current squad who could make the club a fortune in a few years if he uses his experience this season to further improve – Ross McCausland.
Ross McCausland's rise at Rangers
The Northern Irishman saw a glimmer of action during the final match of the 2021/22 season against Hearts, coming on for the final 30 minutes to make his senior debut as Giovanni van Bronckhorst rested several players due to the upcoming Europa League final.
His early promise was evidenced by the fact he grabbed an assist, and it looked as though he would be ready to make an impact over the next couple of years.
Goals
1
Assists
2
Key passes per game
1.3
Big chances created
2
Successful dribbles per game
0.8
While limited to just a single appearance last term, McCausland has taken his opportunity with both hands this season. With an injury crisis engulfing the Ibrox side, caretaker manager Steve Davis gave the winger his first appearance of the season against Aris Limassol in the Europa League, while he received more game time a few days later against St Mirren.
Under Clement, the 20-year-old has been offered plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents, playing 32 times across all competitions under the 50-year-old, scoring twice and notching three assists from the right flank.
While his form is inconsistent, this is his first season of regular first-team football, and he will get better the more game time he receives.
Ross McCausland’s market value at Rangers
Given that McCausland has played only 36 senior matches as a professional, his current market value stands at just €1m (£850k), yet this should hopefully increase as time goes on, especially if he continues to make an impact.
If he lives up to his vast potential, McCausland could follow in the likes of Alan Hutton and Nathan Patterson’s footsteps in terms of raking in a big profit for the club.
Rangers did have a winger on their books two decades ago who was sold for a fee which was seven times what McCausland is worth – Neil McCann.
How much Rangers paid for Neil McCann
After an impressive stint with Hearts, winning the Scottish Cup against Rangers in 1998, McCann joined Dick Advocaat’s Rangers revolution in December 1998, halfway through the campaign.
He cost around £1.9m to sign as the Dutchman was looking for more Scottish talent to bolster his squad with and McCann was the ideal candidate.
His first six months at the club proved to be extremely successful, winning both the Scottish Cup and league title, scoring twice against Celtic in what was the title decider at Parkhead.
Seven goals in 25 appearances was an impressive way to start life in Glasgow, following this up with four goals in 46 appearances the season after which saw the Light Blues secure a domestic double, meaning McCann had won four of the five possible trophies available to him since arriving.
The next two seasons saw the Gers win only two trophies, with McCann scoring ten times throughout these underwhelming campaigns.
Alex McLeish led the club to a stunning treble success during the 2002/03 season – which remains the last time Rangers won all three domestic trophies in the same campaign – as McCann continued to use his experience and guile, scoring twice in 18 league matches along with winning the penalty from which Mikel Arteta scored the title-winning goal against Dunfermline.
Due to financial issues arising at the club, McLeish was forced to sell several of the players during the summer of 2003 and McCann was one who departed.
Neil McCann’s transfer value in 2024 money
The likes of Lorenzo Amoruso, Barry Ferguson and McCann were big name departures ahead of the 2003/04 season.
The Scottish winger was sold to Southampton for a fee of £2m, which represented a decent piece of business.
Totally Money have taken the 100 most expensive transfers of all time across each season since 1992 in Europe's top five leagues. Armed with plenty of historical financial data they have calculated what footballers of yesteryear would be worth in the present day after taking into account the remarkable rate of inflation.
In 2024 money however – with Totally Money adjusted for inflation over the years – that transfer fee would now be worth £8.4m, which represents a significant profit on the £1.9m fee they splashed out to buy him just five years earlier.
This shows McLeish certainly hit the jackpot by moving on the winger, although Rangers felt his loss during the 2003/04 season as they went trophyless for the first time since 2001.
He made 49 appearances for the English side, yet scored just once as they suffered relegation during his second season at the club, before moving back to Scotland to rejoin Hearts.
McCann finished his career in 2011 with his first club, Dundee, and he is fondly remembered among the Ibrox faithful.
His inflated £8.4m transfer fee that he was sold for is currently more than eight times what McCausland is worth, once again, indicating how much of a masterstroke it was for McLeish, especially as the winger was 29 years of age and clearly past his peak.
A few player sales for fees close to that during the summer will leave Clement fairly happy.
Rangers flop who was tipped to be a £20m star is now unemployed at 29
Philippe Clement will be hoping to avoid the mistakes made by his predecessors in the transfer market
ByRoss KilvingtonMay 2, 2024