The "player trading model" - a phrase often used to describe how Rangers conduct their transfer business but one that didn't feel overly justified. Until now, that is.
The summer to date has been a landmark one at Ibrox as the club rake in substantial fees - one set to be a club record - for two of their top stars. Joe Aribo has joined Southampton in the Premier League and Calvin Bassey is about to become Rangers' most expensive sale if, as expected, his move across Europe to Dutch champions Ajax is finalised in the coming days.
But despite it taking some time for this business model to kick in with force, it's not the first time the Ibrox club have enjoyed a profitable season in the transfer market. Some considerable sales have been made down the years, either during the summer or in the January window, but not with any great regularity for a number of seasons.
But with the sale of Nathan Patterson to Everton back in January and now Aribo and Bassey making Rangers an impressive profit on small investments, it feels like things could be about to change for good. And, of course, the exciting part for fans is watching that cash being re-invested into Giovanni van Bronckhorst 's squad.
Here, Record Sport looks at how Rangers have cashed in on players down the years and how it compares to this summer's sales.
2001/02
Among the busiest of summers at Ibrox and one that, until now, ranked as the most profitable in the club's history. Van Bronckhorst's £8.5m move down south to Arsenal was the catalyst but there were several other notable departures.
Jorg Albertz (£3m) returned to Germany with Hamburg, Claudio Reyna (£4m) was snapped up by Sunderland, Kenny Miller (£3m) signed for Wolves and Tugay (£1.3m) also moved down south to Blackburn Rovers.
Total - £21.575m
2003/04
Barry Ferguson (£7.5m) departing for Blackburn provided the bulk of Rangers' income almost 20 years ago, cash which was also boosted by two smaller sales in Neil McCann (£1.5m) signing for Southampton and Lorenzo Amoruso (£1.4m) moving on, also to Ewood Park.
Total - £10.75m
2004/05
A similar summer followed in 04/05 as the sale of Jean-Alain Boumsong (£8m) was Rangers' primary outgoing business, although it was also noteworthy for Mikel Arteta (£2.6m) ending his two-season spell at Ibrox by returning to Spain with Real Sociedad.
Total - £10.85m
2007/08
Until Nathan Patterson joined Everton back in January, Alan Hutton (£9m) and his move to Tottenham Hotspur had remained Rangers' record outgoing deal for over a decade.
The right-back had initially resisted the Premier League side's advances but a deal was eventually struct to take him to London late in January 2008.
Total - £9.79m
2008/09
Rangers cashed in on two of their biggest assets in a single summer, shortly after their respective profiles were raised considerably by the club's run to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. Carlos Cuellar (£7.8m) and Daniel Cousin (£3m) were the sales in question as they joined Aston Villa and Hull City, respectively. Funds were also modestly topped up by Valenciennes buying Filip Sebo (£1m).
Total - £12.3m
2021/22
Nathan Patterson had become the jewel in the Rangers academy crown by the time last season kicked off but his big money move to Everton still came as something of a surprise.
Patterson signed for the Toffees in a deal believed to be worth up to £16m to put him well clear as the club's most expensive ever export. For a while, at least.
Total - £17m
2022/23
Patterson's record looks set to tumble as quickly as it was set Bassey's transfer to Ajax nears completion. It's understood a fee of £19m plus add-ons for the Nigeria international will be finalised in the coming days. On top of that, Joe Aribo (£10m) has already joined Southampton to make 2022/23 comfortably the most profitable campaign in Rangers' history, eclipsing the income from 2001/02.
Total so far - £29m
