Rangers Set to Profit from Oliver Antman Transfer
Rangers are poised to bank a tidy profit on Oliver Antman, with the Finland winger set for a £4.5m move to Anderlecht that will deliver around £1m above what the Ibrox club paid. It is smart business on paper, but it leaves a hole on the flank that must be filled quickly.
The recruitment team have not waited around. Former loanee Vaclav Cerny is among the names on a shortlist to replace Antman, a familiar option who would arrive with no need for introductions to Glasgow’s demands. He is not the only wide player under consideration, but his inclusion underlines how keen Rangers are to find a plug-and-play solution rather than a long-term project.
Rangers juggle touchline drama and transfer work
All this unfolds against a backdrop of tension on the touchline. Derek McInnes has been hit with a four-game ban by the SFA, yet the Rangers manager will still take his place in the dugout for Friday’s Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee United after the club lodged an appeal. The stakes for the opening night were already high; the disciplinary wrangle only sharpens the edge.
On the recruitment front, the search for width goes beyond Cerny. Rangers hold an interest in Coventry City winger Jahnoah Markelo, while Brighton’s Amario Cozier-Duberry remains firmly on their radar. The message is clear: pace and creativity out wide are non-negotiable as the season kicks off.
Celtic hit resistance in the market
Across the city, Celtic are encountering a tougher market. Brentford have rejected a permanent offer for defender Benjamin Arthur, who impressed enough during last season’s loan spell at Parkhead to prompt a bid. The English club have drawn a line, at least for now, leaving Celtic to decide whether to return with an improved proposal or look elsewhere.
Their pursuit of Haissem Hassan is equally complicated. Real Oviedo sporting director David Fernandez has made it plain the winger will only leave on the Spanish club’s terms. No bargain, no discount, no rush. If Celtic want him, they will have to pay the price set in Oviedo, not Glasgow.
Kilmarnock move for ex-Rangers defender
Lower down the Premiership, Kilmarnock are closing in on a move for former Rangers defender Johnly Yfeko. After two years with Exeter City, the defender is on the brink of a return to Scottish football, with Killie looking to add depth and athleticism at the back. It is the kind of deal that rarely grabs headlines but often shapes seasons.
Dundee United, preparing to face Rangers on opening night, have their own transfer subplot. Midfielder Julius Eskesen is drawing interest from Danish side Esbjerg fB, a move that would take him back to his homeland and leave United with a gap in the middle of the park if a deal progresses.
Skov Olsen on the move again, Chesnokov plots Russian switch
One player who failed to convince in Scotland is on the move once more. Andreas Skov Olsen, whose loan spell at Rangers last season never truly caught fire, has undergone a medical at Basaksehir ahead of another temporary switch from Wolfsburg. A fresh league, a fresh start, and perhaps a final chance to prove the potential that once made him one of Europe’s most intriguing young wide men.
Islam Chesnokov’s path has taken an even more unusual turn. Only a month after leaving Hearts for Kazakh side Tobol, he has already agreed to join Russian club Krylia Sovetov next year. It is a rapid-fire sequence of moves that underlines how quickly careers can pivot in the modern game.
Money changing hands, managers fighting bans, squads being rebuilt on the fly: Scottish football’s summer window is doing what it always does. The only question now is which of these decisions will still look clever when the winter wind starts to bite.
