Rangers had a fairly busy but certainly expensive January transfer window, spending £12million, more than any other club in the league. They’ve strengthened in areas that were needed and will hope that it will be enough to give them the boost towards the league title. Looking over the four players they did sign, you can evaluate their chances of hitting their target of a first league title since 2020/21.
Tochi Chukwuani
Chukwuani came to Rangers early in the window for around £3.5million, filling a pivotal part of the Rangers squad playing in the number six position. Nico Raskin had been filling in that part of the Rangers team, but with little success, and is clearly more suited to a number eight, box-to-box type of midfield role. Chukwuani can play that role much more efficiently, sweeping across the back line to cover gaps defensively, and he may prove invaluable during the run-in of the season.
Tuur Rommens
The Belgian U-21 international signed from Westerloo in the Belgian Pro League, managed by former Rangers coach Issame Charaï. Left back was another position Rangers were short in cover, as the only natural left back they had was Jayden Meghoma, and it’s not viable to expect to win a league with just one player for any position. As modern full-backs go, his real strengths come from attacking. However, Rommens, from his left back position, enjoys making runs into the inside left channel, something Rangers have been missing for a while. It adds another dimension to the Rangers’ attack that they can use to break stubborn defences down.
Andreas Skov Olsen
The Danish international winger has joined from Wolfsburg to a lot of fanfare. He was on fire at Club Brugge, but his move to Germany hasn’t worked out as he expected. Here you have a player who will be desperate to get his form back, not just for his new club but for his nation’s World Cup playoffs in March. A left-footed winger who can play on both wings but seems to prefer the right wing to cut inside and get shots away, he can beat players in 1v1 situations. He definitely can be a game-changer and is also the most exciting of the Rangers’ signings of this window.
Ryan Naderi
Rangers were left to sweat until the final minutes of the window to get Naderi in the door. It was of great importance for them to get a striker in as Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti haven’t hit the goal-scoring heights needed to be the number nine Rangers require. Naderi has eight goals and four assists in 18 games for Hansa Rostock in the 3. Liga, the third tier of German football. Despite the seemingly low level he’s come from, you’d back fellow German and Rangers head coach Danny Röhl to know whether or not Naderi is worth the reported €5.5million (£4.7million) to bring him in now instead of in the summer, like Rostock were insisting. If he gets going, he could be pivotal if the Rangers are to win the league.
This transfer window can be seen as a relative success. Being really picky, you’d maybe think Rangers are short of a creative midfielder, as Thelo Aasgaard has struggled to really prove himself so far, and a central defender, as injury-prone John Souttar, currently injured, Derek Cornelius and struggling Nasser Djiga could use extra help. However, the areas Rangers did strengthen were very necessary and should stand Rangers in good stead as the Scottish Premiership title race looks to be going to the wire.
