Glasgow Rangers coach Danny Rohl has been backed by the board in the January transfer window, as four players have been brought in to strengthen the squad.
Tuur Rommens, Tochi Chukwuani, Andreas Skov Olsen, and Ryan Naderi were all signed in an effort to help the team win the Scottish Premiership title.
Skov Olsen has shown flashes of quality, scoring one goal and providing two assists in seven league games, but the Gers are yet to see a left-footed striker.
Naderi has scored twice in the SFA Cup and registered his first league goal with an assist against Aberdeen last week, while Rommens just scored his first goal for the club in the win at St Mirren.
The Belgian defender has created four ‘big chances’ and averaged 2.7 key passes per game in his six Premiership appearances for Rangers since his £3m move from Westerlo.
Analyzing Tochi Chukwuani’s early career at Rangers
Arguably, the best signing that Rangers made during the winter window, however, was central midfielder Chukwuani, who joined from Sturm Graz for around £4m.
The Danish star, who turned 23 earlier this month, hit the mark at Ibrox under Rohl, starting all eight Premiership games.
Chukwuani scored his first league goal for the Light Blues in their 4-1 win over Aberdeen last week, scoring a well-taken corner from the edge of the box.
It’s been his no-holds-barred performance that’s caught the eye the most, though. The Dane has won 16 matches in eight games and won 60% of his matches in league competitions, showing that he has not been caught out by the physicality of this division.
He’s been a great signing for the Rangers because he’s taken the league like a fish to water, handling the physical and technical sides of the game without too much trouble, which is why Rohl made him a regular starter.
The young Rangers have more talent than Chukwuani
Although Chukwuani has performed well for the Scottish giants, there is a young player in the squad who could become an even bigger talent in the long run.
In the summer of 2022, Rangers swooped in to sign young star Bailey Rice from Premiership rivals Motherwell, and he has developed into a genuine first-team player.
Now 19, the midfielder has made 16 appearances for the Light Blues first team and could develop into the club’s next Barry Ferguson, a midfielder who came through the academy and made 423 appearances between the two letters.
Rice is another home-grown midfielder who has come through the youth set-up, although he started his youth career at Motherwell, and has shown promise as a first-team star in his 16th appearance so far.
However, his current contract expires in the summer and he has been linked with Premier League sides Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Sunderland, which shows how highly rated he is outside of Ibrox.
Rice, 19, has been linked with the Premier League, with a possible move to Champions League side Villa or City, while Chukwuani is 23 and yet to play in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
The young talent is currently sidelined with a knee injury, which is why he has had little chance under Rohl, but he could be a future star at the club if the club can convince him to sign an extension at Ibrox instead of pursuing a move to the Premier League.
|
Premiership *for 90 |
Rice (24/25) |
Chukwuan (25/26) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearance |
7 |
8 |
|
Duel success rate |
60.9% |
56.1% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
70% |
48% |
|
Duels won* |
5.89 |
6.80 |
|
Drop won* |
2.07 |
2.36 |
|
Football recovery* |
4.98 |
4.58 |
|
Successful passes* |
50.18 |
36.21 |
If you compare Rice’s seven league appearances last season with Chukwuani’s eight appearances this season for Rangers, the Scottish teenager comes out on top by a few metrics.
Despite being four years younger than the Dane, Rice won the highest percentage of his total tackles and the highest percentage of his aerial tackles, while completing nearly 14 of 90 passes.
Now, imagine how a central midfielder might work with a run of games and more Premiership experience under his belt, rather than getting the odd game here and there to showcase his talent.
The Premier League’s biggest clubs have seen enough of the 19-year-old to convince them to want to sign him, which speaks to his level of talent, which is why Rangers must do everything possible to hold on to him.
Rice, given what he’s shown in limited minutes and the clubs eyeing him, could be Chukwuani’s biggest talent if given the chance to show his qualities, and that’s an exciting prospect for Rohl if the club can tie him down to a new deal.
Rangers can’t forget to sign Moore by releasing “their answer to Leo Messi”
Rangers could move on from Mikey Moore by releasing the Ibrox star at left-back.
Then, if the teenage star signs a new deal and emerges as a first-team star for many seasons to come, the Scotland youth international could be the next Ferguson, as the Scotland midfielder dominates the Gers pitch after arriving at school.
