Glasgow Rangers raised some eyebrows when they completed the signing of Andreas Skov Olsen from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in the January transfer window.
The Light Blues signed the Denmark international on loan from the German outfit until the end of the season, with an option to make the deal permanent in the summer.
Whether or not the Gers pay the £8.7m to sign him permanently remains to be seen, though, as there is still plenty of the 2025/26 campaign left to be played.
Skov Olsen’s form with Club Brugge in the past, hitting 16 goals and assists combined in four separate seasons, suggests that he does have the potential to be an excellent player for Rangers if he can hit his best form.
However, the left-footed attacker only scored one goal and failed to provide any assists in eight Bundesliga games during the first half of the campaign.
Why Rangers need to see more from Andreas Skov Olsen
Skov Olsen has scored one goal in four appearances for the Light Blues so far, scoring his goal off the bench in the 5-1 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership earlier this month.
In three outings in the league, the 26-year-old attacker has racked up 0.37 xA and is yet to register an assist, which is where the Gers need to see more from him.
Skov Olsen, who failed to register a goal or an assist after starting the 8-0 win over Queen’s Park, needs to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis to justify the £8.7m option to buy, as he should be in the prime years or his career and is not a young player who needs years to develop.
The experienced forward has been brought in to make an immediate impact in the Premiership title race, and that is why Danny Rohl needs more output from him in the weeks and months to come.
Whilst the prospect of Skov Olsen reigniting his Club Brugge form at Ibrox is exciting, the Gers have signed a player who is even more exciting than the Dane.
Rangers have unearthed their new Nikica Jelavic
Rangers appear to have hit the jackpot with a star who looks like he could be Rohl’s own version of Nikica Jelavic, who remains one of the club’s most expensive ever sales, having signed for Everton for £5.5m.
The Croatia international, signed from Rapid Vienna in 2010, was a physical and mobile number nine who scored 36 goals and provided 14 assists in 55 games for the Light Blues before his expensive departure to the Premier League in 2012.
Now, Ryan Naderi could be the club’s new version of Jelavic after his impressive start to life as a striker at Ibrox, impressing in his first two outings after a £4.7m move from Hansa Rostock on deadline day.
The 22-year-old marksman scored eight goals and provided four assists in the 3. Liga for Hansa Rostock in the first half of this season, but it is never easy to tell how a player will be able to settle in after moving to a new country and league.
Naderi, though, made the perfect start to life at Ibrox on his full debut against Queen’s Park in the SFA Cup on Sunday, scoring his first two goals for the Light Blues.
The German striker’s movement throughout the match was impressive, constantly making runs to get into positions to score, and it paid off twice for his two headed goals.
That impressive performance against the Championship side came off the back of an encouraging cameo against Kilmarnock at Ibrox last week in the Premiership, as he showed off the physicality that he can bring to the pitch.
|
Vs Kilmarnock |
Naderi |
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
30 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Pass accuracy |
89% |
|
Ground duels won |
3/4 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1/1 |
|
Dribbled past |
0x |
Naderi proved that he will not be brushed aside by Premiership centre-backs, as he has the height and strength to dominate them in duels, and that is another reason why he could be Jelavic-esque for the Gers, as he was a similarly physical forward.
One aspect of his game that Rangers supporters are yet to see, though, is his creativity. He provided four assists in the 3. Liga this season, which suggests that he can create for his teammates, as Jelavic did, and that is something Rohl will be looking to get out of him.
On current evidence, the Gers have hit the jackpot with Naderi because he has hit the ground running and, at 22, has plenty more development left to go through.
That is also why he is even more exciting than Skov Olsen, because he is four years younger than the Dane and has arrived on a guaranteed permanent deal, which means that he has years ahead of him to grow and improve.
Rangers supporters can now look forward to watching his career unfold at Ibrox, hopefully with similar goalscoring numbers to the ones that Jelavic produced before his Premier League transfer.
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.
