How do Rangers do it ?

[aloisius]

After stealing Boumsong in front of Liverpool, they've landed another major player in Dado Prso. Aren't they in big debt problems?
How come Celtic haven't signed any players of that caliber recently?

Prso is 29 and has spent a large part of his carerer in the French 2. division. His only criteria when choosing a club was money. I can understand that Rangers were able to outbid Bolton but how did they convince a young French international to join them over Liverpool?

[Gordon EF]

The suspected story behind the Boumsong signing is that, Rangers are getting him for nothing, they pay him a pretty substancial wage and then sell him on for a big fee next summer. It's risky for both parties obviusly but it makes sense.

The fact is that Rangers may have to become a selling club after years of being a buying club. They keep going on about how they broke even this year, however that included fees for Barry Ferguson, Lorenzo Ameruoso and Neil McCann (who, I am reliably informed they did not get a penny for ;-)). If they are to break even next year they will, presumably, have to sell some players. Mickael Arteta and Boumsong should do the trick.

I'm not sure about Prso. Nobody really knows if Bolton were seriously interested, and if they get Rivaldo, they may not have been. And I would have thought that, if money is all he's after, Rangers could out bid Monaco. Was he being offered a new contract anyway?

[aloisius]

Prso was offered a new contract by Monaco in January. He was then removed from the squad for a couple of weeks after refusing it.

I've read that Allardyce is very upset at him , he thought he had the deal done. Prso is a genuine centerforward so bringing Rivaldo doesn't have much to do with him.

[Gordon EF]

I'm really not sure about Prso then, considering that he was wanted by Monaco and Bolton. Rangers have always been capable of throwing money at players, possibley more than both Bolton and Monaco. But I know how much Rangers want to cut their wage bill.

I can only assume that Rangers will be getting big earners like the De Boers, Arteta, Mols etc off the wage bill and this will leave them with enough money to fit Boumsong and Prso into the budget. They are bringing in players like Alex Rae (Wolves), Marvin Andrews and David McNamee (both Livingston) who I assume will not be big earners.