Rangers January recruitment drive is shaping up to be far more ambitious than first anticipated, with the club actively pursuing two right-wing signings simultaneously as Danny Röhl looks to sharpen his attacking options for the second half of the season.
Contrary to suggestions that one move depends on the other, Rangers interest in Andreas Skov Olsen and Damir Redzic is very much running in parallel – reflecting both the club’s short-term title ambitions and longer-term squad planning.
Skov Olsen remains the more advanced of the two negotiations – and the priority for the Ibrox hierarchy.
The Denmark international is the subject of ongoing talks with Wolfsburg over a loan-to-buy agreement, with Rangers prepared to commit a seven-figure loan fee up front to bring the 26-year-old to Ibrox until the end of the campaign after which the club would have the option to make the deal permanent.
Discussions over personal terms are understood to be progressing positively, with the winger keen on a move that would allow him to play a decisive role in a title run in.
The appeal is obvious. Skov Olsen offers immediate experience at the highest level, having featured extensively in European competition and domestic title races.
For Röhl, he represents a ready-made option capable of delivering output now – rather than a project requiring time to settle.
However, Rangers interest does not end there.
Alongside that deal, the club are continuing to track Damir Redzic, the 22-year-old Hungarian winger currently starring for DAC Dunajská Streda.
Redzic’s numbers this season are eye-catching: nine goals and one assist in just 15 appearances, form that recently earned him his senior international debut for Hungary against the Republic of Ireland.
The profile is very different. Redzic is viewed as a high-upside, long-term investment – a classic inverted winger with pace, end product and resale value.
His valuation, believed to be around €7 million, reflects both his age and the growing competition for his signature.
Heart and Hand’s David Edgar confirmed that Rangers remain firmly in the mix. “He is a player who is attracting a lot of interest at the moment,” Edgar said on his brands Daily Update for Tuesday, January 13, on Patreon.
“There are a lot of other teams interested. He’s a classic inverted winger,” he said to describe the player.
Edgar also noted that clubs including RB Salzburg, Olympiakos, Copenhagen, and sides in England and Italy are monitoring the situation, underlining the need for Rangers to move decisively if they want to secure the player.
Importantly, sources indicate that Rangers do not view Skov Olsen and Redzic as mutually exclusive targets.
Instead, the club are assessing whether circumstances – including outgoing transfers – could allow for both deals to progress, either this window or with Redzic earmarked for a summer move.
That context explains why Rangers are keen to retain Djeidi Gassama, despite concrete interest from Club Brugge and Villarreal. The French winger is not expected to leave this month and is understood to be settled at Ibrox and keen to fight for his place.
Movement out could still come in the wide areas, with Findlay Curtis likely to head out on loan. Newly appointed Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann, a former Rangers player and coach, is understood to be open to offering the teenager regular senior football until the end of the season while Rabbi Matondo has been transfer listed despite making his first Rangers appearance in a year from the bench against Aberdeen in Sunday’s 2-0 win.
Rangers completed their first signing of the window on Sunday - splashing out £4m on Danish midfielder Tochi Chukwuani and look set to announce Belgian left back Tuur Rommens at any moment.
From a strategic perspective, the dual pursuit of Skov Olsen and Redzic highlights a clear shift in Rangers recruitment thinking combining immediate impact with future value, rather than choosing one over the other.
As the window moves towards its decisive phase, Rangers willingness to keep multiple deals alive signals intent – and a belief that strengthening out wide could be one of the defining factors in this season’s title race – former Ibrox midfielder Kevin Thomson said last week that the January window would decide the destination of the Scottish Premiership title – and Rangers look set to put their all into it.