Patterson looks a very good prospect – but he has barely played for Rangers.
The Glasgow club apparently swiftly decided NP was an asset to be sold off. Since he rarely pulled on a blue jersey, he won’t really be missed and the £12 million will alleviate some of the debt Rangers have recently piled up in pursuit of their duopoly partners Celtic.
Go back two years. Hearts had a brilliant young full back on their books; Aaron Hickey.
Hickey was thrown into the Scottish Cup final, after only one first team start.
Hearts unluckily lost the final – but Aaron was made Man of the Match, the best player in either side.
Hickey briefly became a first team regular for Hearts and should have been at least as saleable as Patterson.
However, no big offer was forthcoming from England and very quickly Hickey was sold for around £1 million to Italian club Bologna.
Why?
There are a variety of contributing factors. However the main issue is that prices for players at other clubs in Scotland are in the normal course of events measured by the benchmark of what Celtic and Rangers are prepared to pay – and around £3 million is the most the Glasgow giants have ever paid for a Scottish player.
And, of course, in the eyes of clubs in the English Premier League, if a player isn’t wanted by Celtic or Rangers, he basically cannot be any good!
On rare occasions, the Glasgow duopoly loses out on a player because of their low-price buying policy – but this is VERY rare.
One such rare example is John McGinn.
McGinn was playing for Hibs but wanted by Celtic. For months, they negotiated with Hibs – but the price on offer never got above £2.5 million.
Eventually, EPL club Aston Villa were persuaded to pay around £3 million.
His real value, if playing for Celtic or Rangers?
Over £10 million.
So Celtic and Rangers have together effectively kept a lid on transfer fees paid to other Scottish clubs, ensuring those clubs – the Also Rans – stay poor.
This transfer situation, coupled with the change made in 1980 to allow the duopoly clubs to keep 100% of their home gate receipts, has left the Also Rans in Scotland unable to compete.
This explains why only two names have appeared on the Scottish Premiership winners roll of honour since 1985 – Celtic and Rangers.
The advent of the European Champions League in 1993 exacerbated this situation. This and associated European tournaments bring the Glasgow duopoly £ millions more each year, cementing their already unchallengeable position as the top two clubs in Scotland.
Elsewhere on this site are identified potential solutions which can help ensure new champions arrive in Scotland, ending the awful duopoly which has strangled the life out of the Also Rans over the last four decades.
Basically, the way funds flowing into Scottish football are shared must be changed dramatically.
This change is needed NOW.
37 seasons with only two winners of the Scottish Premiership must NOT reach 40!
Time for Change.
Scottish Football Matters 