Glasgow Rangers appeared to pull off a coup when they landed Andreas Skov Olsen on loan from Wolfsburg in the January transfer window.
The Denmark international joined the German side for £12m in January of last year, which is a fee that would equal the Gers’ club-record signing of Tore Andre Flo.
Skov Olsen was worth that much money, though, because of his incredible form for Club Brugge across three-and-a-half-seasons with the Belgian side, racking up at least 16 goal contributions in each campaign.
Unfortunately, the left-footed star was unable to carry that form over Wolfsburg, with just two goals in 20 Bundesliga appearances, but their loss is Rangers’ gain.
Skov Olsen got off the mark for Danny Rohl‘s side with a composed finish into the top corner in the 5-1 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership last week, and that will, hopefully, be the first of many.
Where Skov Olsen ranks among Rangers’ January signings
We are only in the second week of February, so it is still very early to make definitive assessments, but all four of the club’s January signings have now played multiple games in all competitions.
Rangers signed Tuur Rommens, Tochi Chukwuani, Skov Olsen, and Ryan Naderi to bolster their squad, spending around £12m on the three permanent additions.
On the evidence of their performances for the Light Blues so far, Rommens looks like the best piece of business for a fee of £3m after two impressive showings.
The Belgian defender created two ‘big chances’ and assisted Oliver Antman against Kilmarnock before looking incredibly composed and dangerous in the final third in the 8-0 win over Queen’s Park.
|
Rating January Rangers signings |
|
|---|---|
|
Signing |
Rating |
|
Tuur Rommens |
8.5/10 |
|
Tochi Chukwuani |
8/10 |
|
Ryan Naderi |
7.5/10 |
|
Andreas Skov Olsen |
7/10 |
Chukwuani also looks to be an excellent addition to the squad from Sturm Graz. He won eight out of eight ground duels in his first two appearances in the Premiership, and scored his first goal for the club in the cup on Sunday.
Ryan Naderi also scored his first two goals for the Light Blues in that win over Queen’s Park, which is why we have given him a rating of 7.5/10, but he is yet to provide a goal or an assist in the league.
Skov Olsen did score against Kilmarnock, to his credit, but he has blanked in his other three appearances and did little against the Championship side in the cup on Sunday, which is why he is only at a 7/10 for now.
Former Rangers loanee is now a bigger talent than Skov Olsen
The Scottish giants have had some brilliant loan players over the years, including the likes of Vaclav Cerny and Abdallah Sima in the last two campaigns, but there is one who is currently shining in Europe.
Whilst Skov Olsen looks like a coup on paper, because Wolfsburg paid £12m for him last year, Malik Tillman is now an even bigger talent than the Danish forward, almost three years after leaving Ibrox.
The USA international spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Ibrox from Bayern Munich and they had an option to sign him permanently, but that was bought out by the German side, who then sold him to PSV for £10.4m, which would have made him the second-most expensive signing in Rangers history at that price.
Unfortunately, after Tillman produced 12 goals in all competitions as an attacking midfielder for the Light Blues, Rangers have had to watch on as he has starred elsewhere in Europe over the last three years.
The Germany-born star scored 25 goals and provided 19 assists in 75 matches for PSV during his time in the Netherlands, subsequently hailed for his “world-class” finishing by journalist Herculez Gomez.
Courtesy of providing regular goal involvements at PSG, he earned a mega £35m move to Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
Unlike Skov Olsen, though, Tillman successfully made the step up to the Bundesliga. He has scored four goals and assisted one strike in 16 appearances in the division for Leverkusen so far this term, which has helped his market value to soar.
|
Date |
Market value |
|---|---|
|
December 2025 – Present |
£30m |
|
May 2025 |
£28m |
|
December 2024 |
£26m |
|
May 2024 |
£17m |
|
December 2023 |
£10m |
|
October 2023 |
£7m |
|
End of Rangers loan |
£4m |
The former Rangers loanee, who reporter Jonny McFarlane claimed has “telescopic limbs”, is currently valued at £30m by Transfermarkt, which is significantly more than the £8.7m option to buy that the Gers have with Skov Olsen.
It is fair to say that Tillman currently looks like a much bigger talent than the Danish winger, because of both his market value and his form in the league, which Skov Olsen struggled to perform in for Wolfsburg.
Whilst Rangers will be hoping that the Denmark international turns out to be a star at Ibrox, some may still be wondering what could have been if the club had managed to sign Tillman permanently.
Ibrox flop now looks finished at Rangers after Naderi’s debut
This Rangers flop’s time at Ibrox may already be on borrowed time after the signing of Ryan Naderi.
