BlueMeanie
Well-Known Member
RANGERS legend Brian Laudrup reckons beating Benfica on Thursday night will get scouts from the biggest leagues in Europe flocking back to Ibrox - and says it could be good for the club if a couple of the club's big stars move on for top dollar.
The Dane has used the example of his former club Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt for clubs who have prospered after selling players on the strength of their European exploits.
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Rangers legend Brian Laudrup spent four years at IbroxCredit: Keith Campbell - The Sun Glasgow
The Dutch giants made a killing from selling the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Hakim Ziyech after their run to the cusp of the Champions League final.
While Eintracht Frankfurt moved Luka Jovic on to Real Madrid for big money after the Serbian fired the Bundesliga side to the Europa League semi-finals.
The Rangers star told the Daily Mail: "The Europa League really matters. Even in a season when there is so much focus domestically on winning that 55th title and stopping Celtic from getting ten in a row, it is a vital showcase.
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Rangers boss Steven Gerrard
"A win over Benfica would bring prestige, prize money and the possibility of reaching the knockout rounds with two games to spare.
"Success on the continent over the past two seasons - obviously combined with the support of the club's investors - has helped the building of Gerrard's squad.
"And I think you can see that Rangers now have a number of real assets out on the pitch.
"That brings us round to another vital aspect of the Europa League.
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Alfredo Morelos has broken Ally McCoist's European record
"Like pretty much every club outside the five richest domestic leagues, and many in those countries , player trading will be an important part of the future for Rangers. That's the way of football.
"Success leads to sales, which can lead to reinvestment.
"It might be the next step at Ibrox beyond this season and one which can deliver obvious financial benefits after the £15.9m loss posted for the year to June 30.
"You look at the outstanding success a club such as Ajax has had with developing and selling players.
"Before Gerrard arrived, Rangers didn't really have players who would attract much interest.
"Now the picture has been transformed and the Europa League has been so important to that. It is a stage that really grows value. Richer clubs take notice.
"To give an example from further afield, Eintracht Frankfurt had a fantastic season in the Europa League a couple of years back , reaching the semi-finals before losing to Chelsea."Luka Jovic was their outstanding player and he moved to Real Madrid for something like €60 million.
"Now, the Bundesliga is obviously at a very high level as a domestic competition. But was Jovic's value increased by how well he did in the Europa League? I think that has to be the case.
"At Rangers, Alfredo Morelos was sensational in Europe before Christmas last season.
"Gerrard made it clear they didn't want to sell him in January. Lille then put forward a £16m offer, according to their president Gerard Lopez , that was turned down during the summer.
"That bid came after a difficult second half of the season for Morelos and Gerrard's team collectively, but Lille clearly remembered how good he had been in Europe.
"You look at the squad now and it is about much more than just Morelos.
"Think of the potential of Ryan Kent. How Ianis Hagi can improve. In midfield, Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara could both deliver huge profits on their modest transfer fees somewhere down the line. Borna Barisic offers great quality at left-back.
"The picture is positive. There are a number of players at the right age, who are hungry and skilful.
"They have already done it against Porto, Feyenoord, Braga and Galatasaray. If they can now beat Benfica and kick on into the knockout stages once again, it's inevitable there will be a lot of interested admirers at the end of the season.
"To be clear, I'm not trying to rush anyone out of Ibrox.
"But If Rangers do end up selling a couple of players next summer, it will be a testament to how successful they have been in transforming the squad by promoting players with potential who are capable of playing the right way."
"Clubs across Europe would say about Rangers: 'They play the right kind of football. That's how we like to play.'"
