Rangers' Summer Rebuild: Key Transfers and Challenges Ahead
Rangers’ summer rebuild is about to hit its most frantic stretch. A new manager in Derek McInnes, a new captain in Lawrence Shankland, seven fresh faces through the door – and still the squad feels halfway between old era and new.
The clock is ticking. The Europa League qualifiers are looming. So are some big decisions.
Hjerto-Dahl race catches fire
In midfield, one name refuses to go away.
Rangers have already added Ross McCrorie and Cammy Devlin, but the support are fixated on Jens Hjerto-Dahl, the Tromso playmaker who has been on the club’s radar for months. A £5.4 million bid went in earlier this month and was knocked back by the Norwegians, who know exactly what they’ve got on their hands.
Hjerto-Dahl has admitted he is “tempted” by the prospect of pulling on a Rangers shirt. Tempted, but not short of suitors. Cardiff City have pushed hardest so far with an offer close to £8 million, while Tromso sources name English Premier League new boys Hull City as the latest to make their interest known in the 20-year-old.
For now, though, there is no new bid on the table. Tromso transfer chief Lars Petter Kræmer-Andressen insists there have been no fresh approaches, and Hjerto-Dahl remains with the squad for Thursday’s Conference League qualifier second leg against Hradec Kralove.
Rangers want him. Others can pay more. That tension will define the next few weeks.
Makhanya swoop nears completion
At the back, McInnes is close to landing signing number eight.
Olwethu Makhanya, the unsettled Philadelphia Union defender, is on the brink of a £3.3 million move to Ibrox. The 22-year-old, part of South Africa’s World Cup squad without getting on the pitch, went AWOL from his MLS club after they blocked a switch to the Belgian Pro League.
Rangers have stepped into that stand-off and McInnes has already signposted that Makhanya could be registered in time for Friday night’s Premiership opener away to Dundee United.
If the paperwork lands in time, McInnes will have his new centre-back in place before a competitive ball is kicked.
Antman exit to fund the next wave
To build, Rangers must also strip back.
Oliver Antman looked an astute pick-up when he first arrived from Go Ahead Eagles, his early flashes hinting at a winger who could thrive at Ibrox. The reality has been different. Last season drifted away from him and under McInnes he has slipped further from the picture.
Now he is heading for the exit. Anderlecht are pushing hard, with talks over a deal worth upwards of £4 million. Derby County and FC Twente are also in the frame, but the Belgian side have stolen a march.
Selling Antman would come at a cost in terms of natural width, yet it would also unlock funds – and space – for the next phase of McInnes’ overhaul.
Markelo on the radar
One of those potential replacements is already identified.
Jahnoah Markelo, the Coventry City winger, is wanted on a season-long loan. Rangers have tracked the 23-year-old since his days at FC Zurich, where his form earned him a £4.3 million move to England a year ago.
His first season at Coventry under Frank Lampard never really caught fire. Just six appearances as the Sky Blues surged back into the Premier League for the first time in 25 years left Markelo short of minutes but not short of admirers.
Rangers see opportunity in that gap between talent and game time. If Antman goes, expect the pursuit of Markelo to accelerate.
Souttar squeezed by Godfrey arrival
Not every departure will be from the fringes.
John Souttar’s future is suddenly in play after the loan arrival of England international Ben Godfrey from Atalanta. Souttar signed a new deal earlier this year to stay at Ibrox for the coming season, but the defensive pecking order has shifted.
Clubs down south have sensed it. Leicester City, Sheffield United and Swansea City are all in the hunt for the 28-year-old Scotland international. A sale would be a bold call given his experience and homegrown status, yet it would also represent one of the more significant fees Rangers could command this summer.
For Souttar, the question is simple: fight for his place under McInnes, or take a leading role elsewhere?
McCausland eyes another move abroad
On the flanks, Ross McCausland is looking outward rather than down the road.
The winger, who impressed during a loan spell at Aris in Cyprus last season, is keen on another move overseas. Initial interest has come from a range of European clubs and sides in Major League Soccer, with the player waiting to see who can match Rangers’ valuation and his current wages.
League One outfits in England have already made enquiries, but that level does not appeal. Luton Town asked the question, only to admit they could neither pay a fee nor get close to his salary.
Bigger clubs in the same division have already made contact, yet McCausland’s preference for a move abroad remains. He has trained well under McInnes since returning for pre-season and has a year left on his deal. Rangers must now decide whether to cash in or gamble on a new contract.
Cozier-Duberry still on the wishlist
One name has never quite left the conversation at Ibrox: Amario Cozier-Duberry.
The Brighton winger, who helped Bolton win promotion back to the Championship during a productive loan spell last season, remains firmly on Rangers’ radar. His profile fits the project – young, quick, with upside.
The price does not. Brighton value the former Arsenal youngster at up to £5 million and believe his best years are still ahead. That figure would stretch Rangers’ budget unless sales such as Antman or Souttar are banked first.
If the numbers change, expect Rangers to re-emerge in that race.
Mendy and the one that got away?
At full-back, another old target is moving – just not to Glasgow.
Nobel Mendy, the Senegal international who was on Rangers’ list last year before choosing a switch from Real Betis to Rayo Vallecano, is now the subject of a major bid from Hull City. The Premier League newcomers have reportedly tabled an offer in the region of £15.4 million for the 21-year-old.
For Rangers, it is a reminder of the market they are trying to operate in. Players once within reach are now commanding sums that belong to a different financial universe.
McInnes and the Ibrox hierarchy know the equation. They must trade smartly, sell at the right moment and land the next Mendy or Hjerto-Dahl before the rest of the market wakes up.
With the final month of the window approaching and the season starting on Friday, the real test of this new Rangers regime is only just beginning.
