Rangers’ Transfer Business Heats Up as Summer Window Closes
Rangers’ transfer business is moving at full tilt as the clock ticks towards the final month of the summer window – and Derek McInnes is right in the eye of the storm.
Seven new signings are already through the door and there’s a new man in the dugout, but Ibrox still feels like a building site. The Europa League qualifiers are looming, the Premiership kicks off on Friday, and the squad is being pulled in two directions at once: strengthened at the top, trimmed at the edges.
Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises have armed their manager with serious backing. Lawrence Shankland has not only arrived but been handed the armband vacated by James Tavernier. That’s a symbolic shift as much as a tactical one. Yet behind the headline arrivals, the real story of this window is the sheer volume of moving parts.
Here’s where it stands.
Hjerto-Dahl race catches fire
Midfield has already been reinforced with Ross McCrorie and Cammy Devlin, but the name supporters keep coming back to is Jens Hjerto-Dahl.
Rangers saw a £5.4 million bid knocked back by Tromso earlier in the month. The 20-year-old playmaker has admitted he is “tempted” by the chance to play at Ibrox, but temptation alone doesn’t close a deal – especially when the market has woken up.
Cardiff City have thrown in an offer close to £8 million, and Tromso sources say English Premier League newcomers Hull City are now circling as well. The Norwegian club’s transfer chief, Lars Petter Kræmer-Andressen, insists there have been no fresh approaches, and Hjerto-Dahl is still with the squad for their Conference League qualifier second leg against Hradec Kralove on Thursday.
For Rangers, the equation is simple but brutal: either push the financial limits again or risk watching a long-term target disappear into the English market.
Makhanya move closes in
At the back, one deal is far closer to the finish line.
Olwethu Makhanya is poised to become signing number eight, with McInnes confirming the South African defender could be registered in time for Friday’s league opener away to Dundee United.
The 22-year-old has been deeply unhappy at Philadelphia Union, going AWOL after a proposed move to the Belgian Pro League was blocked. Rangers have stepped into that chaos and agreed a fee of around £3.3 million for a player who made South Africa’s World Cup squad but didn’t feature.
It’s a calculated gamble: a young centre-back with pedigree, frustration to burn, and a point to prove on a bigger stage.
Antman exit to fund a reset
Not everyone will be part of the next phase.
Oliver Antman arrived with promise but never truly settled. After a bright start, last season faded into frustration, and under McInnes his stock has dropped further. Now the winger looks set to move on, with Belgian side Anderlecht pushing hardest for a deal believed to be worth upwards of £4 million.
Derby County and FC Twente have also registered interest, but the Belgian giants are at the front of the queue.
For Rangers, cashing in on a wide player who never quite clicked could be the key to reshaping the attacking options in a single window.
Markelo on the radar
One potential beneficiary of that reshuffle is Jahnoah Markelo.
The Coventry City winger is high on the list as a possible replacement, with Rangers keen on a season-long loan. The 23-year-old caught the eye at FC Zurich, earning a £4.3 million switch to England a year ago, but he has barely featured – just six appearances as Frank Lampard guided Coventry back into the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.
Markelo offers something Rangers badly need: natural width. With Antman likely to depart, the door is wide open for a fresh option on the flank, and a loan would keep funds free for other areas.
Souttar squeezed by Godfrey arrival
At centre-back, the picture is getting crowded.
The loan arrival of England international Ben Godfrey from Atalanta has thrown John Souttar’s future into sharp focus. The Scotland defender only signed a new deal earlier this year, expecting to be part of the core for the coming season. Now he finds himself at the centre of a tug-of-war from the Championship.
Leicester City, Sheffield United and Swansea City are all in the hunt for the 28-year-old. A move south would free up wages and possibly raise a fee, but it would also remove a homegrown, experienced option from a back line already undergoing major surgery.
McInnes must decide whether Souttar is a cornerstone or collateral.
McCausland eyes another move abroad
On the wings, Ross McCausland is edging towards the exit.
The Northern Ireland international enjoyed a spell with Aris in Cyprus last season and is keen on another move overseas. Interest has come from across Europe and from MLS, with the player waiting to see which clubs are willing to meet Rangers’ valuation.
Several League One sides in England have made enquiries, but that level does not appeal to the 23-year-old. Luton Town have also asked the question, yet their inability to pay a fee or match his current wages leaves that avenue effectively closed.
McCausland has impressed in pre-season under McInnes and still has a year left on his Ibrox deal. Rangers hold the leverage – for now.
Cozier-Duberry still on the wish list
Amario Cozier-Duberry remains a name to watch.
Rangers have tracked the Brighton winger this year after he helped Bolton win promotion back to the Championship during a successful loan spell. The 21-year-old, formerly of Arsenal, stays firmly on the radar, but the price is steep.
A permanent deal could cost up to £5 million, with Brighton convinced he has a high ceiling. For a club already juggling bids for Hjerto-Dahl and others, that kind of outlay would represent a serious statement.
The question is whether Rangers are prepared to go that deep for a wide player in this window.
Mendy’s value underlines missed chance
Nobel Mendy is a reminder of how quickly the market moves.
Rangers had the Senegal full-back on their radar last year before he swapped Real Betis for Rayo Vallecano. Now Hull City, fresh from promotion to the Premier League, have reportedly tabled a bid in the region of £15.4 million for the 21-year-old.
That figure underlines both how highly he is rated and how expensive it has become to shop for ready-made talent. For Rangers, it is a sliding-doors moment: a target once within reach now commanding sums far beyond Ibrox’s usual range.
As the final month of the window approaches, McInnes stands at a crossroads – chasing the last pieces of his rebuild while knowing every incoming may demand a sacrifice elsewhere. How bold Rangers choose to be now will shape not just this season, but the next few summers to come.
