Rangers chief explains the truth behind Nathan Patterson sale
LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 05: Nathan Patterson of Rangers FC looks on during warm up prior to the UEFA Europa League Group D stage match between SL Benfica and Rangers FC at Estadio da Luz on November 05, 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
In that wide-ranging interview, 10 years on from the disaster of 2012, MD Stewart Robertson agreed with Ibrox Noise’s assessment of the sale of Nathan Patterson and how it’s affected the club going forward.
The club supremo discussed how we haven’t sold a player for that price region for many many years, but it was the implications Ibrox Noise expressed some weeks ago that the managing director concurred with:
“We haven’t sold a player for multiple millions for many, many years. A key part of our strategy was the trading of players and I think it lends credibility to the value of your squad. When other clubs realise what your players are worth then it begins to change the way they look at your players.”
That final sentence is the key area.
For Watford to offer £2M for Borna Barisic during the January window was just ridiculous, given his CV, and despite his current form not being the best, at top gear the Croat is well beyond £10M.
And Nathan Patterson’s sale shows just what key players are worth at Ibrox now, given he was only a fringe player.
Robertson agrees, and furthermore:
“That’s why runs in Europe are very important because if you can show the way your players are competing at the top level and show their worth – all of that helps to enhance the value of your players.”
Barisic’s value hiked into the £20M range when he was UEL’s top assist provider, and striker Alfredo Morelos’ value, as top scorer in the competition that season, went into a region even beyond that.
The point being that Patterson’s sale was crucial for Rangers, not just financially, but credibility-wise too.