Here are some of the latest Rangers and Celtic headlines from wages claims to an ex star’s Liverpool exit.
Rangers and Celtic are on different sides of the summer rebuild scale this summer ahead of a busy transfer window.
At Ibrox, it is all change. 49ers Enterprises and Andrew Cavenagh’s takeover is complete with Russell Martin seemingly in pole position to become the next head coach, the new owners set to put around £20m of initial capital into Ibrox. Kevin Thelwell’s sporting director arrival has also brought with it recruitment guru Dan Purdy from Everton as an overhaul looks likely.
Meanwhile at Celtic, it’s a case of tinkering with a side that has already won back to back doubles in Brendan Rodgers’ second stint in the dugout. Here are some of the latest headlines when it comes to both clubs.
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Finance expert Rangers and Celtic wages statement
Despite the Hoops having a lauded player recruitment model that has brought millions from the likes of Jota, Matt O’Riley and many more with Rangers lambasted with several expensive flops, finance expert Kieran Maguire has made a wages claim that will raise eyebrows. He says that while Celtic have a Champions League upper hand, the pair are around the same in terms of wages paid out, despite Rangers’ sole league crown since demotion in 2012 and another campaign without trophies.
Maguire told talkSPORT: “Celtic have got 77 million pounds in the bank. So 20 million pounds compared to that is relatively minor. In terms of the wage bill, they're pretty much neck and neck. In terms of the actual total investment in squad, they're very similar. Where Celtic have got a huge advantage is that through qualifying for the Champions League on a regular basis, last year, their revenue was 35 to 40 million higher than that of Rangers. It's Champions League or nowhere when it comes to the benefits of being in European competition.
“Rangers lost over £300,000 a week last season and Celtic made over £300,000 a week so there were two different strategies. I think Rangers, to a certain extent, have had a habit of going all in in terms of player recruitment because they want to be at an even position compared to Celtic. And in order to do that, you've got to recruit significant amounts of players on decent wages. It's exactly the same if you take a look at the squad costs, Celtic’s was 47, Rangers was 48. So therefore, I think Rangers have backed managers historically, but that's on a quantitative basis, on a qualitative basis it's not worked.”
Former Celtic player set to leave Liverpool
Nat Phillips is set to make a permanent exit from Liverpool. The defender has lived a nomadic existence for the Reds who he has featured for 29 times, featuring for Celtic for the first half of the 23/24 season. He has also been loaned to Cardiff City and Derby County since leaving Parkhead with the Athletic now claiming “Tyler Morton, Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams are expected to leave in search of a fresh challenge.”
He told Sky Sports last December: "When I go back to Liverpool for pre-season it's always about keeping myself in good shape and training well, then just seeing where the cards are lying and go from there. There's been talk of me going out permanently for a while. It was never really that anyone closed that door, it's just circumstances unfolded over seasons. I just wanted to play as much football as possible. That's always been my goal and what I've always wanted to do.
"It would be nice to nail down something a bit more permanent at some stage. It certainly makes life easier in general when there's less moving around. I try not to look too far ahead, but I know I'm no longer in my early '20s. Ultimately, I've always prioritised my career and I'm happy to make those sacrifices if I need to. But I do feel in general centre-backs tend to put out their best years later in their career. Hopefully I can do the same."
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