Rangers Profit from Oliver Antman Transfer as Squad Reshapes

Rangers are set to bank a tidy profit on Oliver Antman, with the Finland winger poised to join Anderlecht in a £4.5m deal that underlines Ibrox’s new hard-edged approach to the market.

Signed for around £3.5m, Antman’s expected departure delivers close to £1m in profit and frees up both wages and a key attacking slot as Derek McInnes reshapes his squad on the fly. The Belgian side have moved decisively, and Rangers have chosen the money over a longer look at a player who showed flashes without ever fully taking command of the wide areas.

The question now is who replaces him.

Rangers’ wide rebuild

One familiar name is already on the shortlist. Former loanee Vaclav Cerny, who previously spent time at Ibrox, is among the candidates being weighed up as a like-for-like replacement on the flank. His return would be a calculated gamble: a player who knows the club, knows the demands, but still has to prove he can deliver consistently at the level Rangers now demand.

Rangers’ recruitment team are casting the net wider. Coventry City winger Jahnoah Markelo has emerged as a target, with the Scottish club monitoring the 21-year-old’s situation closely. Brighton’s Amario Cozier-Duberry also remains firmly on their radar, a reminder that the club are intent on adding pace and directness in the final third rather than simply plugging a gap.

The outgoing business has not been as kind to everyone with recent Ibrox ties. Andreas Skov Olsen, whose loan spell at Rangers last season never truly caught fire, has undergone a medical at Basaksehir ahead of another temporary move from Wolfsburg. His brief stay in Glasgow promised plenty but delivered little; his next loan will go a long way to deciding whether he is a late bloomer or a talent that stalled at the wrong time.

McInnes on the touchline despite ban

Off the pitch, Rangers are already at odds with the authorities. McInnes has been hit with a four-game touchline ban by the SFA, but the club’s appeal means he will still be in the dugout for Friday’s Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee United.

It is a significant boost. Opening nights set tones. Having the manager on the technical area, barking instructions and managing the emotional temperature, matters in a way no Zoom link to the dressing room ever could. Rangers clearly believe the punishment is excessive and are willing to fight it, even as the season’s first whistle looms.

Celtic hit resistance in the market

Across the city, Celtic’s own squad surgery has met its first real resistance.

Brentford have rejected a permanent bid for defender Benjamin Arthur, who spent last season on loan at Parkhead. Celtic had hoped to convert that stint into a long-term stay, but the English club are holding their ground, signalling they either see further value in the player or want a higher fee than has been tabled so far.

On the wing, Celtic’s pursuit of Haissem Hassan faces similarly firm pushback. Real Oviedo sporting director David Fernandez has made it clear the Frenchman will only leave on the Spanish club’s terms. No cut-price exits. No rushed deals. If Celtic want him, they will have to pay properly or walk away.

It is a reminder that, even for Scotland’s biggest clubs, the market is no longer a place where they can simply dictate.

Kilmarnock, Dundee United and Hearts feel the ripple

The rest of the Premiership are moving too, trying to keep pace in a window where hesitation can be fatal.

Kilmarnock are closing in on a deal for former Rangers defender Johnly Yfeko, who has spent the last two years at Exeter City. It is the sort of move that suits all parties: a young defender with something to prove, a club that thrives on moulding raw materials into hardened Premiership operators.

Dundee United midfielder Julius Eskesen is attracting interest from Danish side Esbjerg fB. A return to his homeland would reshape United’s midfield options and leave the Tannadice club with a gap to fill at a time when stability is priceless.

Islam Chesnokov’s situation underlines how quickly careers can twist. Just a month after leaving Hearts for Kazakh side Tobol, he has already agreed to join Russian club Krylia Sovetov next year. Hearts have moved on, but they will watch with interest as a player they briefly had in their ranks continues a whirlwind journey across leagues and borders.

The window is not yet at full boil, but the pattern is already clear: Scotland’s clubs are trading, recalibrating and taking calculated risks. Rangers are about to cash in, Celtic are being forced to push harder, and the rest are scrambling for their own edges.

The season will show who judged the market best.