Bojan Miovski’s standing in the Rangers squad may have shifted, but a January exit is not on the table, and the reasons are as much regulatory as they are tactical.
On the pitch, the landscape has changed quickly. Miovski arrived in the summer with a strong reputation following his prolific spell at Aberdeen, expected to lead the line and carry that output into a higher-pressure environment.
Instead, his Rangers spell has been uneven. While there have been flashes, notably a brace away to Kilmarnock in December and a spectacular overhead kick against Ferencváros in the UEFA Europa League, sustained impact has been elusive.
An injury picked up in that European fixture disrupted his rhythm at a key moment. He was rushed back for the 2–1 defeat at Tynecastle but has struggled to rediscover sharpness in league action since.
During that period, Yousef Chermiti seized his opportunity, scoring at Tynecastle and then netting twice in the 3–1 Old Firm win at Celtic Park, performances that have seen him take over as first-choice number nine.
With Rangers also moving to bring in Ryan Naderi from Hansa Rostock and Danilo expected to depart to Pafos, Miovski could find himself as the third-choice striker on current form, a significant drop from the position he held at the start of the campaign.
His numbers underline the sense of underperformance relative to expectations: eight goals and one assist in 29 appearances, with three of those goals coming in a Scottish Cup tie against fourth-tier Annan Athletic. For a player signed to be a leading scorer, that return has not fully convinced.
Yet despite murmurs that Rangers might be open to allowing the North Macedonian to depart, Miovski cannot simply be moved on. The reason lies in FIFA’s regulations on player registrations. A footballer can only be registered with three clubs in a single season and is only eligible to play official matches for two of them.
Miovski featured for Girona earlier in the campaign, playing 43 minutes against Rayo Vallecano in August before completing his move to Ibrox.
Rangers are therefore his second club of the season in terms of competitive appearances. A transfer to another European side this window would make him ineligible to play there until the next campaign.
The only realistic exceptions would be leagues whose seasons run on a different calendar, such as the United States’ Major League Soccer or certain Scandinavian competitions, where registration cycles differ. Even then, the logistical and sporting sense of such a move mid-season is questionable.
As a result, Rangers hands are effectively tied. Miovski remains part of the squad for the remainder of the campaign, regardless of his place in the pecking order.