With Rangers’ latest links to Everton’s Lewis Gibson, the Ibrox men look to be taking advantage once again of cross-border FIFA rules allowing Scottish clubs to secure English clubs’ players at fractions of their potential value. Gibson would arrive north for barely a quarter of a million.

However, these rules, aimed at U24s, seem to have been forgotten about with Rangers’ most recent signing, that of Ryan Kent.

The 22-year old winger did not arrive in Govan for £250,000, unlike 22-year old Joe Aribo. Why is that?

Well, for those who never thought about it, those who genuinely wondered, and those who already knew, the reason is surprisingly simple:

Gibson and Aribo were out of contract, and technically Bosmans, while Kent was very much under a deal.

The Professional Football Compensation Committee is the reason that fellow English clubs would pay millions, while Scottish clubs pay pennies, but only in the case of Bosmans.

Essentially, to protect clubs from losing assets for nothing at the end of their deals, English-based PFCC ensures full compensation for players, even Bosmans, under 24, when they move from one English club to another in the same association. Hence why Danny Ings cost Liverpool a fortune despite being out of contract.

But to Scotland? Jordan Rossiter, Joe Aribo and a few others have all been out of contract therefore fall under FIFA rules for compensation for ‘training costs’ and therefore that only comes into the hundreds of thousands.

But it all only applies when they’re coming north and they’re out of contract.

Ryan Kent, on the other hand, was under a contract and therefore Rangers had to pay full market value for him, despite his age and the cross-border rules.

So, you may already have known this, and we’ve not told you anything new, or it may be something you didn’t know in the first place, and you’re welcome for the information!

But it could help Rangers nab a low-cost gem in Gibson. We’ll see.