Rangers recently brought the veteran to Ibrox, but Pedro Caixinha hopefully talked him into a pay-cut.
Cagliari’s Bruno Alves in action against Roma
Perhaps the most eye-catching of Rangers summer signings under new manager Pedro Caixinha is the capture of Portugal centre-back Bruno Alves from Italian side Cagliari.
The veteran defender may be 35-years-old but has 89 caps for his country and has over a dozen domestic titles from his career in Portugal, Russia and Turkey. He even won a Euro 2016 medal with his nation last summer.
Portugal’s Bruno Alves fouls England’s Harry Kane before being sent off
It was a move that did surprise some Rangers fans however, as they wondered how the club could afford the player. He cost very little in terms of a transfer fee, but his wages must be high for a now famously frugal club such as Rangers.
A report in Italy today, has suggested what Alves could have demanded. According to Unione Sarda, the defender was earning 800k euros per annum at Cagliari. That amounts to around £58k-a-week – more than most the Tottenham Hotspur first-team is earning.
Fenerbahce’s Bruno Alves in action with Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths
Surely Alves is not on similar money at Ibrox, especially considering the financial problems the club have found themselves in in recent times.
Such an amount would seem excessive for a player of his age, even if he does bring skill and prestige to the club.
Hopefully Rangers convinced Alves to take a sizeable pay-cut to head to Glasgow this summer.
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha before the match
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
