The transfer period can be tricky for any club as they often invest heavily in a player hoping that he would significantly improve the team. While some signings do manage to make their mark, some fail miserably.
Scottish giants Rangers also have had their brush with some very poor transfers in recent years, and here we take a look at the five worst transfers of the club over the last decade.
Joey Barton
The outspoken English midfielder joined Rangers on a free transfer in the summer of 2016, following the Gers’ return to the Scottish Premiership.
However, the former Newcastle United and Manchester City star, whose weekly wage at Rangers stood at £20,000, lasted just six months in Glasgow.
He made just eight appearances for the Light Blues, with his last coming in the 5-1 hammering at the hands of Celtic at Parkhead. The club soon terminated his contract.
Carlos Pena
To be fair, the Gers’ transfer business last summer was so inept that almost everyone they signed under then manager Pedro Caixinha could feature on this list. However, it is Pena who makes the cut, following some recent and shocking revelations.
The 28-year-old signed for Rangers from Mexican side Guadalajara for a fee of £2.6m but struggled to make any sort of impact at the club.
While he did go on to score 4 times in 12 Premiership appearances, the level of performances was extremely inconsistent and as a result, he was shipped out to Cruz Azul on loan in January.
The Mexican still has two years left on his contract with the Gers, but with his alcoholism issues coming to the fore recently, it is unlikely that he will have a future at Ibrox. Pena has currently checked into a rehab facility in Mexico.
Bilel Mohsni
The Tunisian defender was snapped up by the Light Blues on a free transfer in 2013. While he went on to feature 61 times for the Gers, scoring 13 goals and assisting five more, Mohsni’s discipline, or the lack thereof, was a huge problem during his time at Ibrox.
Starting with his headbutt on Derby County’s Chris Martin during a friendly, which resulted in a two-game ban in 2014, to the altercation with Hibernian FC’s Liam Fontaine, Mohsni’s time at Rangers makes Barton look like a saint.
The biggest tipping point though came in the promotion playoff final clash against Motherwell, when he kicked and punched Lee Erwin on the field, resulting in a seven-game suspension. That would go on to be his last action for Rangers, who released him after the incident.
James Beattie
Signed from Stoke City in the 2010 summer transfer window for a fee around £1.5m, Beattie was brought in to fill the void created by the departure of Kris Boyd, despite his well-known struggles with the Potters in the 2009/10 season.
He turned out to be a huge dud for the Glasgow outfit as the striker failed to make any sort of an impact at Ibrox.
Beattie would go on to make just 10 appearances for the Gers without scoring a single goal and was he swiftly loaned out to Blackpool in January. Post his return to the club at the end of the 2010/11 campaign, the Gers terminated his contract.
Philippe Senderos
Signed from Swiss side Grasshoppers FC in 2016, the former Arsenal man was well past his prime and had very little to offer. So, what made then Rangers boss manager Mark Warburton sign the defender remains a mystery.
Senderos put in a horrendous display on his debut as the Gers lost 5-1 to arch-rivals Celtic. He managed to play three more matches for Rangers, who released him at the end of the season.
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