This summer, the Glasgow rivals spent more than £30 million on fresh additions.
The considerable player turnover that Michael Beale anticipated at Ibrox this summer as he undertook a significant roster revamp received a lot of attention.
After Celtic’s shocking Triple triumph condemned the Light Blues to yet another trophyless campaign, the Rangers manager pledged the largest transfer rebuild the club had seen in years.
Beale frequently went on record expressing his optimism for the months ahead, even praising the generous budget the board had given him, as 2022/23 fizzled out. In April, he said: “Compared to what I’ve seen in prior years, I think it’s a good amount for a Rangers manager. I have a lot of optimism for the summer.
In September, it’s safe to conclude that all but one of his nine summer acquisitions haven’t quite won him over, with goalkeeper Jack Butland being the lone exception. Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara, Ryan Kent, and Alfredo Morelos were among the roughly a dozen first-team players who left the club. While it was time to move on, the issue of whether Rangers have become a better team still looms.
It may be premature to draw any conclusions given that the league season has only been played for four games, but the numbers speak for themselves. Beale has been in charge of 37 games since taking over for Gio van Bronckhorst in December 2022. However, given the tense atmosphere at Ibrox following the disappointing derby loss to Celtic, it appears like Beale’s time to find a solution is running out. The Govan men simply cannot afford to let Celtic win another league trophy, as that would bring their bitter rivals to within one championship of Rangers’ illustrious 55.
But things aren’t quite perfect all throughout the city either. The Green Brigade has made it very apparent how they feel, and the Parkhead faithful have not universally welcomed Brendan Rodgers’ return. The vociferous mob didn’t miss Rodgers either when Celts limped to an embarrassing goalless draw at home to St Johnstone a week before shocking the Gers at Ibrox with a substitute team.
Who knows if the Hoops’ victory on hostile territory will prove to be a turning point in a season that has seen them ravaged by injury and eliminated from the Viaplay Cup. The supporters of the green and white expected Rodgers to be given a sizable summer transfer budget because they had amassed every domestic trophy under Ange Postecoglou and were already qualified for the Champions League.
There was talk of a £30m war chest and big-money moves for the likes of Kieran Tierney, Fabian Rieder and Dominik Livaković. In his first press conference, Rodgers had intimated his desire to make Celtic a force in Europe once again after a decade of mediocrity on the European stage.
Yet while the champions added ten new faces to their squad – one more than Rangers if you include Tomoki Iwata – they lost key stars in the likes of Jota, Carl Starfelt and Aaron Mooy. Suddenly, the jubilation of winning a world-record eighth domestic Treble appeared a distant memory and Celtic found themselves in an unexpected period of transition – not forgetting Postecoglou had already moved on to Spurs.
Hoops fans have yet to see Maro Tilio, Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Luis Palma, Nat Phillips or Paulo Bernardo make their competitive debuts, and the quintet could yet force their way into the starting line-up. But with priority positions such as goalkeeper and left-back left unaddressed, Rodgers’ hopes of making his mark in a favourable Champions League group may have diminished slightly.
The Northern Irishman did outspend Beale by around £4m* this summer, although the Hoops’ net spend stands at +£11.22m* thanks to their successful player trading model. Still, Celtic fans would rather see continued domination on the park and with millions already in the bank, many will feel Rodgers should have been financed with more funds to take the club to the next level.
Rangers, meanwhile, had a net spend of -£5m* after the Ibrox board backed Beale to the tune of almost £15m, while recouping just under £10m in sales. Whether that investment will see value for money, time will tell.
Here, Football Scotland examines both clubs’ approximate summer business.
Rangers summer transfers 2023
INS: Kieran Dowell (free); Dujon Sterling (free); Jack Butland (free); Sam Lammers (£3.5m); Abdallah Sima (loan); Cyriel Dessers (£4.5m); Leon Balogun (free); Danilo (£5.5m plus add-ons); Jose Cifuentes (£1.2m).
INS TOTAL: £14.7m.
OUTS: Allan McGregor (free); Filip Helander (free); Ryan Kent (free); Alfredo Morelos (free); Scott Arfield (free); Mateusz Zukowski (undisclosed); Antonio Colak (£1.7m); Lewis Mayo (undisclosed); Fashion Sakala (£3m); Nnamdi Ofoborh (free); Ianis Hagi (loan); Glen Kamara (£5m).
OUTS TOTAL: £9.7m*.
NET: -£5m*.
Celtic summer transfers 2023
INS: Tomoki Iwata (£830k); Odin Thiago Holm (£2.5m); Maro Tilio (£1.5m); Yang Hyun-jun (£2.1m); Kwon Hyeok-kyu (£1m); Maik Narwocki (£4.3m); Gustaf Lagerbielke (£3m); Luis Palma (£3.5m); Nat Phillips (loan); Paulo Bernardo (loan with option to buy).
INS TOTAL: £18.73m.
OUTS: Aaron Mooy (retired); Adam Montgomery (loan); Ewan Otoo (undisclosed); Jota (£25m); Conor Hazard (£150k); Liam Shaw (loan); Osaze Urhoghide (loan); Vasilis Barkas (free); Carl Starfelt (£4.3m); Ben Summers (loan); Bosun Lawal (loan); Ismaila Soro (free); Sead Haksabanovic (loan); Albian Ajeti (£500k).
OUTS TOTAL: £29.95m*.
NET: + £11.22m*.
*Undisclosed fee.
References: BBC, Daily Record, Rangers Review, Sky Sports, Sponichi, The Times, Transfermarkt.
