Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s transfer record at Glasgow Rangers was arguably his biggest downfall in his spell at the club, which ended in November 2022, nearly a year to the day since he was appointed.
Aaron Ramsey and Amad Diallo didn’t have the desired effect having joined on loan for the second half of last season, while all but a few of the Dutchman’s summer incomings have had any sort of success at the Ibrox side.
Antonio Colak and Malik Tillman have shone, yet players such as John Souttar and Tom Lawrence have spent the majority of the campaign on the treatment table.
One of his biggest flops, especially considering the initial financial outlay, has been Welsh winger Rabbi Matondo, who just hasn’t settled in Glasgow, while taking a large wage in the process.
How much has Rabbi Matondo cost Rangers?
Rangers signed the player from German side Schalke last summer in a deal worth around £3m, and with this sort of fee, he was expected to hit the ground running.
The former Manchester City winger had impressed on a season-long loan at Belgian side Cercle Brugge during 2021/2022, registering 11 goal contributions – nine goals and two assists – while averaging 0.9 key passes per game and creating four big chances. These displays led to Van Bronckhorst bringing him to Ibrox, yet he has so far failed to replicate anything like his form last term.
The 22-year-old has started just six Premiership matches, registering only three assists, while his Champions League form was even worse.
In the group stage of Europe’s premier cup competition, Matondo averaged a Sofascore rating of just 6.4/10 across five matches.
He has played just 21 matches in total for the Gers, getting only 838 minutes on the pitch, and he has rinsed the club dry during his 35-week spell so far. Indeed, totalling up his £3m transfer fee along with the reported £28k-per-week wages the youngster is earning, Matondo has cost the club around £4m for his efforts.
It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to work out that this has not been money well spent. The hype surrounding his arrival faded after the first few months of the season, with the winger not offering much in terms of attacking quality.
Hopefully Beale takes note of his predecessors' transfer failings and looks to only bring high-quality players to the club from now on.
