Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement looks certain to be at Ibrox for the long haul, especially if his transfer dealings are anything to go by.
The Belgian manager signed three players in the winter window – all aged 22 or under – with his penchant for developing young talent already taking off at the Light Blues.
This could finally see the Ibrox side develop an established player trading model, something which his predecessors failed to build during their spells at the club.
Of course, the Light Blues have sold the likes of Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo for significant profits during the previous two years, but these are the only examples of what should have been a conveyor belt of talent being moved on for vast sums of money.
Patterson’s move set the wheels in motion for the club to sell another two players that summer, and on the surface, it was a move too good to turn down.
Nathan Patterson’s Rangers statistics
The academy graduate began to make waves during the 2019/20 campaign, making his debut for the club during a Scottish Cup clash against Stranraer in January 2020.
Steven Gerrard clearly saw something in the young defender, preferring to keep him at the club ahead of the 2020/21 season instead of letting him move elsewhere on a loan deal.
Season
Games
Goals
2021/22
11
0
2020/21
14
2
2019/20
2
0
Via Transfermarkt
The right-back may have had to bide his time with regard to getting an opportunity domestically, not making his first league start until March, when the title was practically guaranteed, but he did sparkle in Europe.
Four appearances in the Europa League yielded one goal, while another goal followed in the Scottish Cup.
Overall, Patterson played 14 games during 2020/21, scoring twice, and hopes were high that he could kick on ahead of the following season.
Naturally, it was going to be difficult to displace captain James Tavernier from the right-back slot, especially considering his input at the opposite end of the pitch, meaning Patterson had to be patient.
Up to January 2022, the Scot had played just 11 games for the Ibrox side and with Everton showing a keen interest, it looked as though Giovanni van Bronckhorst had a big choice to make with regard to his future.
How much Rangers sold Nathan Patterson for
Although supremely talented, as long as Tavernier was at the club, Patterson was always going to find it difficult to break into the side in his preferred right-back position.
Everton had seen two bids rejected in the summer of 2021 for the talented defender, but when they came back six months later, it was a different story.
In the opening days of January, the news broke that the Goodison Park side had secured the signing of Patterson on a five-and-a-half-year deal for a fee of £16m, which made it Rangers' biggest ever sale at the time.
Patterson had the chance to become a future star for Rangers, but a lack of game time plus the chance to play in the Premier League meant they had to cash in, and in turn, they struck gold on the youngster due to the major fee.
Despite the lavish profit, going by inflation, Patterson’s sale is not bigger than the fee raked in for Alan Hutton back in January 2008.
How much Rangers sold Alan Hutton for
The right-back enjoyed a wonderful opening six months of the 2007/08 campaign, emerging as one of the finest players in Scotland.
Of course, this attracted plenty of attention, with Tottenham Hotspur the club showing the most interest in luring the player down south.
Eventually, the late great Walter Smith had no choice but to accept their £9m offer for the defender, making him the biggest sale in the club’s history at the time.
Alan Hutton’s transfer value in 2024 money
This was a significant amount of money back in 2008, allowing Smith the chance to further bolster his side ahead of a frantic second half of the season.
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 having adjusted for inflation over the years – this £9m transfer fee would be worth a staggering £29.8m if he made the same move just now.
This fee is not only higher than Patterson's (£16m), but it is also well clear of the £23m fee received for Calvin Bassey in 2022, clearly suggesting that the Ibrox side hit the jackpot by moving on Hutton 16 years ago.
Alan Hutton’s statistics at Rangers
Hutton made his debut during the treble-winning 2002/03 season before making 11 appearances in the dismal 2003/04 campaign.
These experiences led him to enjoy a breakthrough during the next campaign as Alex McLeish led his team to the League Cup while securing the title on the final day of the season. Due to a leg break, however, Hutton missed both the final and the title run-in, having to watch on from the sidelines.
Returning to full fitness, the full-back made 61 appearances across the following two years, yet Rangers failed to lift any silverware during that period.
Smith’s return in January 2007 galvanised the club and midway through 2007/08, the Gers were contending in four competitions.
Hutton’s departure meant he did not play a part in the run to the UEFA Cup final or the two domestic cup successes, but he was praised by Ally McCoist just a few weeks prior to his departure.
Rangers: Smith struck gold on Alan Hutton
Rangers made a massive profit by selling Hutton for £9m in 2008.
ByRoss KilvingtonApr 22, 2023
“I’d like him to stay here for a long time and win things with Rangers,” said the former striker.
“I have no doubt Alan is destined for great things but I believe those great things can be with Rangers. We don’t want to lose players of his quality.”
A few weeks later, Hutton was gone. While the club lost a player who could have achieved much more at Rangers, they were clearly not at liberty to turn down a fee of £9m and, judging by inflation, the Gers played an absolute blinder moving him on for that type of fee nearly two decades ago.