Rangers sign Hull's Pandur for £6m as Butland heads south
Glasgow Rangers have acquired Croatian goalkeeper Ivor Pandur for £6 million from newly-promoted Hull City, highlighting the continued financial pull of major Scottish clubs over English second-tier talent despite the Premier League's wealth.
Rangers have completed the £6 million signing of goalkeeper Ivor Pandur from Hull City. The 26-year-old, currently on international duty at the World Cup with Croatia, has agreed to a four-year contract at Ibrox.
Pandur arrived at Hull in 2024 and was instrumental in their recent promotion. He played in all but one Championship match last season, keeping clean sheets in both play-off semi-finals and the final to secure the club's return to the Premier League.
The transfer underscores a familiar dynamic in the European football market. Despite Hull securing the immense financial rewards of Premier League promotion, Rangers have still managed to extract their most critical player. For the Scottish club, securing a proven, promotion-winning goalkeeper strengthens their domestic competitive position at a reasonable price point.
The move appears to be part of a structured goalkeeping swap. Jack Butland is close to completing a £3 million transfer in the opposite direction to join Hull. Butland, who moved to Glasgow in 2023, made over 150 appearances for Rangers after previous spells at Birmingham, Stoke and Crystal Palace.
From a financial perspective, Hull will generate a net £3 million from the pair of transactions. For a newly promoted Premier League side, reinvesting part of a windfall into an experienced top-flight backup like Butland makes economic sense. It allows them to cash in on a player who excelled in the Championship while adding Premier League experience to their ranks.
"I am honoured and privileged to sign for such a big club with so much history. This club knows how to win and that's exactly why I am joining Rangers," Pandur said. Manager Derek McInnes noted the club had signed a goalkeeper with "excellent presence and a strong character." Butland indicated his departure was imminent in a social media post, telling supporters: "This is only goodbye for now. You've created a family of lifelong Rangers fans, once a Ranger, always a Ranger, me and my family will always be that." Separately, Rangers confirmed they are not pursuing a move for Dundee defender Luke Graham during the current window.
