Rangers deadline-day picture up front has taken on a familiar late-window shape, as it looks as if short-term needs will remain unresolved.
The Ibrox side have agreed a deal in principle to sign Ryan Naderi from Hansa Rostock, in a package understood to be worth north of £3.4 million.
However, the key detail is timing. The German 3. Liga side are in the thick of a promotion push and have been adamant throughout negotiations that they will not sanction the departure of their leading attacker mid-season unless they can source a replacement – something they are unlikely to do at such short notice.
That condition has not been met, meaning Naderi is now expected to arrive in Glasgow in the summer rather than before tonight’s deadline.
From Rangers perspective, it represents a compromise. They have moved early to secure a profile they believe in, mobile, direct and physical, while accepting that the immediate attacking gap will not be filled by this deal.
Naderi himself has been open to the move, and Rangers have effectively banked a future addition, but the reality is that he will not be available to influence the title run-in.
That reality directly impacts the situation around Danilo. The Brazilian has been in the Netherlands preparing for what was shaping up to be a loan switch to NEC Nijmegen, even being spotted in the crowd for their recent match against AZ Alkmaar.
However, with Cameron Archer now not expected to arrive from Southampton due to the Saints unwilling to lose him without first bringing in a replacement, Rangers are facing a numbers issue.
Allowing Danilo to leave would leave the club with only Yousef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski as recognised centre-forward options for the decisive months of the campaign.
In a tight title race, that is a risk Rangers are not prepared to take. As a result, Danilo’s proposed move to NEC is now unlikely to be completed, despite the groundwork that had been laid.
This chain reaction underlines how interconnected Rangers window has become. Archer’s stalled situation in England blocks an immediate arrival.
Rostock’s promotion ambitions delay Naderi. The knock-on effect is that Danilo, despite interest and personal movement toward a switch, is set to remain at Ibrox out of necessity.
Behind that, Rangers are still exploring the possibility of adding an experienced No.6 following Connor Barron’s injury, which is expected to sideline the Scotland international until March.
But with hours left and multiple deals already caught in external logjams, the striker picture, and Danilo’s status, is where the most immediate consequences are being felt.
As ever on deadline day, situations remain fluid and a single breakthrough elsewhere could quickly alter Rangers plans in the final hours.