The 10 most expensive signings in Scottish Premiership history: Celtic 6-4 Rangers

The Scottish Premiership isn’t known for clubs regularly splashing the cash as evidenced by the fact that the league’s record fee was paid over 20 years ago.

Rangers and Celtic have blocked out the top 10 with ease as the two clubs who have had the financial clout to even think about big spending in the transfer window

Here we take a look at the 10 players commanding the biggest fees to join the Scottish Premiership.

10. John Hartson – £6m

When John Hartson arrived at Celtic after a stint at Coventry City there were few indications that the Welshman would be the roaring success that he proved to be for the Hoops.

Hartson was a prolific goalscorer and became a talismanic figure for the club down the years.

He formed iconic strike duos with the likes of Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson at the club and was well worth his fee.

9. Chris Sutton – £6m

For a time Chris Sutton was the most expensive player in English football after he joined Blackburn Rovers for £5 million but the striker’s career had taken an unfortunate turn after a disastrous spell at Chelsea.

Celtic showed faith in his ability to rebound and much like Hartson, Sutton would become a club hero at Celtic even if his goal returns were not as great as either Hartson and Larsson with whom he formed strike partnerships.

Still he took on Celtic as his home and the fans loved him for it.

8. Mikel Arteta – £6m

Mikel Arteta got his introduction to British football when he signed for Rangers as a 20-year-old in July 2002.

In his first season at Ibrox, Arteta appeared to slot in as the missing link in the midfield, unlocking the potential of those around him.

He would spend just two seasons at Rangers before heading back to Spain but would return to the United Kingdom for his heralded spells at Everton and Arsenal.

7. Cameron Carter-Vickers – £6m

Cameron Carter-Vickers came into the Celtic setup from Tottenham and in a remarkable coincidence thrived under Ange Postecoglou who has since gone the other way.

A busy centre-back with an appetite for the scrap and a handy player on the ball as well, Carters-Vickers has adapted well to life in the Scottish Premiership.

He is currently under contract with Celtic until 2029 and looks set to give his best years to the club he joined in 2022.

6. Michael Ball – £6.5m

Rangers fans might wince at the mention of Michael Ball’s name after a spell at Rangers that promised much but was hampered by injury.

His signing looked like a big flop in hindsight but at the time the deal actually looked like it might be a coup for Rangers.

A pattern of spending that bordered on the reckless hasn’t aided this transfer in the years since especially against the backdrop of the famous club landing itself in administration.

5. Ryan Kent – £7m

Former Liverpool winger Ryan Kent arrived at Rangers as a young player desperate to prove himself and at his best electrified Ibrox.

His transfer fee probably looks worse than it truly is as far as value is concerned even if he recently left the club on a free transfer to Fenerbahce.

Kent was a very good Rangers player at his peak without truly cracking into the bracket of being a great.

4. Christopher Jullien -£7m

Christopher Jullien was also a good signing for Celtic but he promised much more in his initial seasons after switching to the Scottish Premiership from Ligue 1.

A great aerial threat, Jullien could also be a handful from set pieces and contributed goals alongside being a solid and consistent presence at the back.

Celtic would only recover a nominal fee for the player when he returned to Ligue 1 in 2022 with Montpellier.

3. Odsonne Edouard – £9m

Odsonne Edouard’s time in the Scottish Premiership was statistically impressive even if he wasn’t able to win over all the fans and pundits.

He arrived on loan at first before Celtic splashed £9million to make his move from PSG a permanent one.

Edouard scored 60 goals in 104 SPL appearances, a strike-rate he has not come close to matching in his three seasons in the Premier League with Crystal Palace.

2. Jota – £12m

Signed for an initial £6.5m, Jota’s final Celtic transfer fee would swell close to record levels after the club let him go to Al-Ittihad with Benfica eventually receiving a £12m for the player.

Despite the sell-on clause, Celtic still made a significant profit on the sale which in turn means that his transfer fee was retroactively boosted.

An impressive young winger, some might feel that his talents are wasted in the Saudi Pro League.

1. Tore Andre Flo – £12m

While Rangers were probably justified in stumping up a fee that is still yet to be matched in Scottish football when they signed the Norwegian, looking back on his time at the club will fill those involved with some regret.

Flo would later admit that the price tag attached to him made life difficult and he would complete just one full campaign at Rangers.

He scored 25 goals in that season though as Rangers powered to a Scottish Premiership and League Cup double. He was sold to Sunderland for a reported £6.75m after 87 appearances and 43 goals for the club.

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