Rangers Profit from Antman Sale as Transfers Heat Up in Scotland
Rangers are set to bank a tidy profit as Oliver Antman heads for the exit, with the Ibrox club accepting a £4.5m offer from Belgian side Anderlecht for the Finland winger, according to the Scottish Sun.
Signed for a fraction of that fee, Antman’s sale is expected to deliver around £1m in profit and underlines Rangers’ intent to trade aggressively in this window rather than simply stockpile wide players. The move also rips open a key position in Derek McInnes’ squad just days before the league campaign begins.
Rangers move fast on replacements
The search for Antman’s successor has already begun. Former Rangers loanee Vaclav Cerny is among those on a shortlist to fill the vacancy on the flank, the same outlet reports.
Cerny knows the demands at Ibrox and offers a familiar profile: direct, experienced, and capable of stepping straight into a side that expects to challenge from day one. He is not the only option, but his name on the list shows Rangers are leaning towards ready-made solutions rather than long-term projects.
The recruitment drive does not stop there. Rangers Review reports that Coventry City winger Jahnoah Markelo is on the radar, with Brighton youngster Amario Cozier-Duberry still firmly viewed as a player of interest. One is a Championship operator with a physical edge, the other a highly rated Premier League prospect. Two very different routes to the same destination: more firepower out wide.
McInnes banned – but not silenced
Off the pitch, McInnes’ touchline presence has become a story of its own. Despite being hit with a four-game touchline ban by the SFA, the Rangers manager will be in the dugout for Friday’s Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee United, with the club lodging an appeal, according to Sky Sports.
That appeal buys him time and ensures Rangers begin their campaign with their manager exactly where he wants to be: prowling the technical area rather than watching from the stands. In a season already shaping up as a test of depth and nerve, that could matter.
Celtic hit resistance in the market
Across the city, Celtic are encountering a more stubborn market.
Brentford have rejected a permanent bid for defender Benjamin Arthur, who spent last season on loan at Parkhead, reports the Richmond and Twickenham Times. Celtic saw enough in the defender to try to bring him back on a full-time basis, but Brentford are holding firm, forcing the Scottish champions to decide whether to return with improved terms or walk away.
The Daily Record adds that another target, Haissem Hassan, will only be allowed to leave Real Oviedo on the Spanish club’s terms, as sporting director David Fernandez made clear. No cut-price deals, no panic sale. If Celtic want the winger, they will have to meet Oviedo’s demands or move on to the next name on their list.
Kilmarnock, Dundee United and the rest join the shuffle
The transfer churn runs deeper than Glasgow.
Kilmarnock are closing in on a deal for former Rangers defender Johnly Yfeko, who has spent the last two years at Exeter City, according to the Daily Record. It would be a return to Scottish football for the defender and another sign that Kilmarnock intend to strengthen their back line with players who already understand the landscape.
Dundee United, preparing for their Premiership opener against Rangers, have their own decisions to make. Midfielder Julius Eskesen is attracting interest from Danish side Esbjerg fB, the Courier reports. Any move would leave United with a hole to plug in the middle of the park just as the season gets underway.
Familiar faces on the move again
Some names refuse to leave the Scottish stage quietly.
Andreas Skov Olsen, who endured an underwhelming loan spell at Rangers last season, has undergone a medical at Basaksehir ahead of another loan move from Wolfsburg, according to reporter Florian Plettenberg. His time at Ibrox never truly caught fire; now he goes in search of a reset in Turkey.
Islam Chesnokov’s path has twisted even more sharply. Just a month after leaving Hearts for Kazakh side Tobol, he has agreed to join Russian club Krylia Sovetov next year, reports Hearts Standard. One brief spell, another contract, a different league on the horizon – a reminder of how quickly careers can pivot in modern football.
Money coming in at Rangers, bids knocked back at Celtic, and the rest of the Premiership quietly reshaping their squads in the background. The window is open, the season is on the doorstep, and every decision now will echo deep into the spring.
