In the autumn of 2012, following an administration process that began six months earlier, Rangers football club were put into liquidation.
Under new ownership, and essentially starting anew as a phoenix club, all that remained of a proud Scottish institution that had won 54 league titles was their name, ground, a small number of staff and players who stayed true to the cause, and of course, their legion of fans.
Placed into the third division and competing against the likes of Annan Athletic and Montrose, the Gers were roared on by crowds exceeding 49,000. Global attendance records were broken for that level of football.
Three promotions in four years were secured and then in 2021 a 55th league crown was attained, preventing Celtic from making it ten Scottish Premierships in a row.
The blue half of Glasgow were back. Reborn.
All of this feeds into what follows, namely a wage structure that balances ambition with pragmatism. Rangers are once again financially going toe-to-toe with their arch-rivals from across the city but it’s all within reason.
Biggest Earners at Rangers (2025/26):
- Danilo Pereira da Silva - £39,000 per week
- Max Aarons - £30,000 per week
- Youssef Chermiti - £30,000 per week
- Jack Butland - £30,000 per week
- James Tavernier - £30,000 per week
For the 2025/26 season Rangers are committed to spending £24.2m on player salaries, with the average weekly wage per individual amounting to £14,300.
Danilo Pereira da Silva
Now into his third season in Glasgow since signing from Feyenoord for a nominal sum, the Brazilian striker’s time so far with the Gers has been hit and miss, the latter almost entirely attributed to injuries.
Just one month in, the forward rose high to head home his second goal for the Gers, at the expense of St Johnstone. A sickening collision an instant later however saw him hospitalised with a suspected compound skull fracture.
What transpired to be a broken cheekbone left him out for weeks but even that paled to what came next, a prolonged knee complaint that kept him on the sidelines for a year, bar the occasional appearance off the bench.
At this precise juncture the 26-year-old has made just 13 league starts in 51 games from his arrival.
The supporters rate him, and there has certainly been enough glimpses of excellence to know for sure that he can be a difference-maker. But Rangers signed him – and made him their highest earner - to be their main attacking threat. To score a sufficient number to help challenge Celtic at the top.
That hasn’t happened. Yet.
Max Aarons
On falling from favour at Bournemouth, Aarons moved to Valencia for the latter half of last season. On his return to the South Coast his future was very much up in the air, especially when the Cherries sold their first choice right-back but then immediately recruited another, in the form of AC Milan defender Alex Jimenez.
Enter Rangers, offering up a one-year loan and an opportunity for the 25-year-old to get his career moving again after a temporary stall.
“I can bring a new energy, and I think Rangers fans can be excited - I am really looking forward to it," the player stated on his unveiling.
Though there is no obligation to buy for the Scottish giant, a more permanent deal is on the table, with the defender’s versatility proving a big plus.
Youssef Chermiti
At £8m plus add-ons, Chermiti became Rangers’ most expensive purchase since 2000 when joining from Everton last summer.
It is interesting to note that the man behind the deal – the Gers’ sporting director Kevin Thelwell – held the same role with the Toffees when they signed the forward from Sporting in 2023.
If Thelwell is clearly a fan the jury remains out still for the Ibrox faithful who have only seen the 21-year-old start five times to date, with four of those appearances coming in the Europa League.
In the credit column, Chermiti has been industrious via cameos and generally looked the part. Crucially though goals have been in scant supply, as was the case on Merseyside.
If Rangers want to justify their odds in the football betting to topple Celtic they require a consistent finisher. With Danilo persistently plagued by fitness issues and Chermiti misfiring, do they have one?
Jack Butland
It may now be seven years since Butland last represented England yet his international pedigree – the 32-year-old in on possession of nine caps – was always going to bump up his salary. Subsequently, though it’s rare, we find a goalkeeper among a club’s highest earners.
Now 32 and with 350+ club outings to his name, in the Premier League and beyond, the stopper’s experience has been vital since joining in 2023, helping the Blues navigate back-to-back runner-up finishes in the league before turning around a disastrous start this term.
He also still has a sensational save or two in his proverbial locker, subverting the sports betting by frustrating Europe’s finest forwards in continental competition.
James Tavernier
The Bradford-born full-back joined Rangers in 2015, as part of a double-deal with Wigan that also saw striker Martyn Waghorn head north.
Waghorn departed two years later, fated for his impressive goal-haul. Tavernier stayed to become a bona fide club legend.
Now in his testimonial season, Ranger’s long-standing skipper has charged up and down the right flank with great distinction on 450 occasions, nullifying wingers while simultaneously offering up a genuine goal-threat.
A volley against Hibs in March 2024 made him British football's highest-scoring defender, his 131 career tally overtaking Graham Alexander.
Tavernier reached his total in almost half the amount of games it took the Preston stalwart.
