Rangers Profit from Oliver Antman Transfer Amid Market Activity
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 net the Ibrox club around £1m. Not bad business for a player whose time in Glasgow has been brief but eventful.
The deal, reported in Scotland, underlines Rangers’ willingness to move quickly in a volatile market. Antman’s departure is not expected to leave a hole for long. Former Ibrox loanee Vaclav Cerny is among those on a shortlist to replace him, as the club look for ready-made width rather than a long-term project.
Rangers’ recruitment team have cast the net wide. Coventry City winger Jahnoah Markelo has emerged as another target, while Brighton’s highly regarded Amario Cozier-Duberry remains firmly on their radar. The message is clear: pace and creativity out wide are non-negotiable this season.
McInnes on the touchline despite ban
Off the pitch, Rangers’ focus is split between the transfer market and the technical area. Derek McInnes has been hit with a four-game touchline ban by the SFA, but the Ibrox boss will still be in the dugout for Friday’s Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee United as the club appeal the punishment.
It hands Rangers a significant early boost. Opening nights can set a tone, and having the manager prowling the technical area rather than watching from the stand may matter more than the rulebook suggests.
Celtic frustrated as Brentford stand firm
Across the city, Celtic have run into resistance. Brentford have rejected a permanent bid for defender Benjamin Arthur, who spent last season on loan at Parkhead and had done enough to convince the Scottish champions he was worth keeping.
Brentford’s stance forces Celtic back to the drawing board in a window where defensive stability is a clear priority. One target who remains in play is Haissem Hassan, but Real Oviedo are in no mood to be pushed around. Sporting director David Fernandez has made it plain the winger will only leave on the Spanish club’s terms, not at a cut price to suit Celtic’s timetable.
The Glasgow club know the clock is ticking. Europe looms, the fixture list tightens, and the margin for error in recruitment shrinks by the day.
Kilmarnock, Dundee United and the chase for depth
The rest of the Premiership are moving too. Kilmarnock are closing in on a deal for former Rangers defender Johnly Yfeko, who has spent the last two years with Exeter City. It is the kind of move that can slip under the radar now and look inspired in December.
Dundee United, meanwhile, face a battle to keep hold of Julius Eskesen. The midfielder has attracted interest from Danish side Esbjerg fB, a move that would take him back closer to home and leave United with a gap in the heart of their side if a deal progresses.
Familiar faces on the move again
Some stories feel like football’s version of déjà vu. Andreas Skov Olsen, whose loan spell at Rangers last season never quite caught fire, has undergone a medical at Basaksehir ahead of another temporary switch from Wolfsburg. A fresh league, a new system, and perhaps one last chance to show why he was once billed as a rising star.
Islam Chesnokov’s journey has taken an even sharper turn. Just a month after leaving Hearts for Kazakh side Tobol, he has agreed to join Russian club Krylia Sovetov next year. It is a rapid reshaping of a career that had only just brushed the Scottish game.
Deals done, bids rejected, bans appealed. Scottish football’s summer is moving at full tilt, and with league campaigns about to ignite, the question now is simple: who has gambled wisely, and who will be scrambling when the first whistle blows?
