Rangers' Transfer Window Drama: Key Signings and Departures

Rangers’ transfer window is edging into its decisive phase, and the scale of the rebuild under Derek McInnes is starting to bite.

Seven signings are already through the door. A new manager is in the dugout. Lawrence Shankland now wears the armband once owned by James Tavernier. Yet with the Premiership kicking off on Friday and Europa League qualifiers looming, Ibrox still feels like a club mid-surgery rather than one resting after it.

McInnes has backing from Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, but he also has a balancing act to perform. New faces will arrive. Others will be pushed out. The churn is only accelerating.

Hjerto-Dahl race turns into a high-stakes auction

In midfield, Rangers have moved early. Ross McCrorie and Cammy Devlin have added bite and energy. The name the support keeps coming back to, though, is Jens Hjerto-Dahl.

The Tromso playmaker has been on the radar for a long time, and Rangers have already tested the water with a £5.4 million bid, knocked back by the Norwegian club. Hjerto-Dahl has admitted he is “tempted” by the idea of Ibrox, but this is no straight shoot-out anymore.

Cardiff City have put almost £8 million on the table. Hull City, fresh from promotion to the Premier League, are the latest to be linked, with Tromso outlet iTromso reporting their interest in the 20-year-old.

For now, Tromso transfer chief Lars Petter Kræmer-Andressen insists there have been no fresh approaches. Hjerto-Dahl is with the squad for their Conference League qualifier second leg against Hradec Kralove on Thursday. Once that tie is settled, the real fight for his signature may begin.

Makhanya move closes in as defender forces his way out

At the back, McInnes is closing in on his eighth signing of the window.

Olwethu Makhanya, the unsettled South African international at Philadelphia Union, is on the brink of a move worth around £3.3 million. The 22-year-old centre-back went AWOL from the MLS side after a switch to the Belgian Pro League was blocked, and Rangers have stepped into the chaos.

McInnes has already confirmed Makhanya could be registered in time for the league opener away to Dundee United on Friday night. A World Cup squad member with Bafana Bafana, even if unused, he arrives with pedigree and a point to prove.

Antman exit clears space on the flanks

Out wide, the picture is changing fast.

Oliver Antman arrived from Go Ahead Eagles with promise but never truly settled into life at Ibrox. After a bright start, his influence faded, and under McInnes he has slipped further down the pecking order.

Now he looks set to go. Anderlecht are pushing hardest, with talks around a deal worth upwards of £4 million. Derby County and FC Twente are also in the frame, but the Belgian side have moved to the front of the queue.

For Rangers, the sale would free up both wages and funds. The squad is already light on natural wingers. Letting Antman go only makes it more urgent to find replacements.

Markelo targeted as loan option

One of those replacements could be Jahnoah Markelo.

The Coventry City winger, signed from FC Zurich for £4.3 million just a year ago, barely featured as Frank Lampard led the Sky Blues back into the Premier League, making only six appearances.

Rangers have tracked him since his Zurich days and now want him on a season-long loan. At 23, Markelo fits the profile: hungry, underused in England, and with enough upside to justify the gamble. If Antman departs quickly, this is the sort of deal that may need to move just as quickly behind it.

Souttar squeezed by Godfrey arrival

At centre-back, the arrival of Ben Godfrey on loan from Atalanta has immediate consequences.

John Souttar signed a new deal earlier this year, apparently securing his place for the coming season. That security now looks fragile. Godfrey’s presence has pushed Souttar towards the exit, and interest from England is building.

Leicester City, where his younger brother Harry plays, Sheffield United and Swansea City are all in the mix for the 28-year-old Scotland international. A sale would bring in cash and ease the congestion at the back, but it would also mean another experienced figure moving on from a dressing room already in flux.

McCausland eyes another move abroad

Ross McCausland is also edging towards the door, and his intentions are clear.

The winger, who spent last season on loan with Aris in Cyprus, is keen on another move overseas rather than a drop into England’s lower leagues. European clubs and MLS sides have shown early interest, and he is now waiting to see who will firm up that interest and match Rangers’ valuation.

Several League One clubs have enquired, but that route does not appeal. Luton Town have also asked the question, only to admit they cannot pay a fee or reach his current wages. That one is effectively dead.

McCausland has trained well under McInnes in pre-season and has a year left on his Ibrox deal. Rangers must now decide whether to cash in or risk losing him for nothing in 12 months.

Cozier-Duberry still on the radar – but at a price

One name that refuses to disappear from the Rangers notebook is Amario Cozier-Duberry.

The Brighton winger, formerly of Arsenal, helped Bolton clinch promotion back to the Championship during a productive loan spell last season. Rangers were credited with an interest earlier in the year, and he remains firmly on their radar.

The problem is the fee. Brighton value the 21-year-old at up to £5 million and believe he has a major future. That pushes a permanent deal into the “stretch” category for Rangers, particularly with other priorities in the squad and the need to sell before they can fully commit to another big outlay.

Mendy chase shows how market has shifted

Nobel Mendy is a reminder of how quickly the market can move away from Ibrox.

The Senegal international full-back sat on Rangers’ radar last year before choosing a move from Real Betis to Rayo Vallecano. Now Hull City, freshly promoted to the Premier League, have reportedly tabled an offer in the region of £15.4 million.

That level of fee puts him in a different bracket entirely and underlines why Rangers have to be ruthless and early with their recruitment. Miss the moment, and players move beyond reach in a single window.

The new season starts on Friday, but for Rangers the real drama is unfolding off the pitch. McInnes has his captain, his backing and the outline of a new team. The question now is whether this frantic final month of trading can turn a reshaped squad into one capable of wresting the title back to Ibrox.