At the recent Rangers AGM, deputy chairman John Bennett spoke about the need for the club to see progress in terms of player trading.
It was one of the ‘revenue pillars’ that he and other directors spoke about at the online meeting, this year.
Whilst Steven Gerrard is on record as saying that none of Rangers key players will leave in this current January window, there has to be a realisation from the wider fanbase that for the club to be fully self-sustainable, key player sales will be an inevitability.
This doesn’t mean a fire-sale or a cashing in of all assets in a way that would decimate the team.
What it means is that every year or so, when a player’s value is at an optimum level, as well as considering age and contract status, there is a need to cash in.
One very interesting case example is Rangers classy midfielder, Glen Kamara.
The Finnish international who was secured for a pittance, can go on to earn the club 200 times his cost.
In February 2019, Kamara joined Rangers for £50,000.00 having already secured a pre-contract deal. That nominal fee was then exchanged to make the move happen sooner.
The midfielder’s best showings have came on the European stage where the contest is more suited to his style of play, however there has been a marked improvement and increased consistency to Kamara’s domestic game, this season. He has been a key figure in the Gers line up this term, especially with the recent loss of Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack.
On player sales, John Bennett is aware that thanks to the progression on and off the pitch at Ibrox, they are in a strong position when it comes to selling.
He said “One thing is clear we don’t want to sell them at values that don’t reflect their full and fair value and you’ve seen that last year on bids for our players.
“It has to reflect our valuation. And if that is the case, we’ll have a decision to make.”
That should follow and it is normal even for a club like Rangers to sell when the price is right.
Where would Kamara go and for how much?
For a player who is impressing in the Europa League and is firmly established in his national team, the price will need to reflect those facts.
Kamara will go to the Euro Championships this summer with Finland and it is likely that he will do himself justice.
There have been claims of interest from Premier League Brighton.
In the Summer transfer window, there will be tough decisions that need to be made.
If by then, Glen Kamara is a Scottish title winner and makes his mark at the Euros, it is not unrealistic for Rangers to expect at least £10 million return on a player they acquired for £50k.
That is 200 times his cost and would be outstanding business all round.