We thought that in a slight change to current policy, we would look at January’s window. That means the four additions brought in under Dan Purdy and Danny Rohl. Rangers made four additions this winter. Many described it as a well heralded window. Ibrox Noise would include itself in that view. We were quite happy, with one exception, about the players who arrived. However, with us now deep into March, what would Ibrox Noise’s assessment be of the four additions so far in a Rangers’ January signings review.
Assessing January Signings
These are technically Danny Rohl’s own players now. Consequently, we assess his signings. We begin with Tuur Rommens. The Belgian under 21 international has been outstanding. He reminds many Rangers fans of Arthur Numan and is strong. He defends well and also gets forward extremely well. His crossing is excellent. He connects well with the left sided attack. He interchanges and overlaps brilliantly. Quite frankly, he has been the most impactful new signing in many years. Rangers rarely sign players who make this immediate impact.
Rommens Success
Rommens has shone. He has been an excellent use of £4M. It was an astute signing. This is a rare occasion where a lesser known player proves excellent. This contrasts with Ridvan Yilmaz. He was a decent player. However, Rangers signed him ahead of players like Josh Doig. He suffered injury problems aplenty. He was certainly not the worst left back Rangers have had. However, choosing him ahead of Doig was bewildering. Rommens seemed similar at first. He arrived from Westerlo without much fanfare. However, he has proven a fine signing. He has delivered consistently. That represents an absolute success so far. 9/10
Chukwuani Impact
The second signing came alongside him. That was Tochi Chukwuani, known as Chucky. Unfortunately, he has not shone in the same way. He has looked slow and cumbersome. His impact has been limited. His CV suggested much more. We researched Chucky heavily before his arrival. Scouting reports praised his ball control and vision. They also mentioned power and decent pace. He could pick a pass well. That profile resembled a deep lying playmaker. Many compared that role to Barry Ferguson. However, he has not delivered on that level. He has not been awful. Nevertheless, he has not resembled Rangers’ former captain. He has been acceptable. That is all. He does not look like a £4.5M signing even if he excelled in Austria with Sturm Graz. He has an excellent CV. However, we have not seen that player yet. He has certainly not shone like Rommens. 6/10
Skov Olsen Struggles
Then we move to Andreas Skov Olsen. This signing received huge praise from Ibrox Noise. His CV is strong. He performed well in Belgium and Denmark. He also impressed for Denmark internationally. Consequently, he seemed capable of becoming Rangers’ standout winger. Unfortunately, it has not worked out well so far. His numbers stand at 3 in 7. However, he has looked slow. He appears ponderous and tentative and lacks penetration.
He also appears static and hesitant too often. His position demands power and pace. He has shown neither consistently. Perhaps confidence is low. However, he has seven appearances already and does not look significantly improved. He has not failed completely. Nevertheless, he has not impressed enough. He looks similar to the player seen at Wolfsburg who must deliver more. He must attack defenders more aggressively and needs more crosses and dribbles. Many will say he requires time. However, Rommens did not need that. We hope for improvement. Otherwise, the club will not make the move permanent as we’ve discussed. 6/10
Naderi Disappointment
Finally in Rangers’ January signings review, we come to Ryan Naderi. This signing from the German third division shocked many. Rangers spent £5M on him. His agent confirmed it was a panic buy. His agent stated Rangers paid over the odds. The club needed a striker quickly because other deals had collapsed. Naderi has been extremely poor so far. He looks like a rabbit in headlights and appears lanky or uncertain. He can only operate inside the six yard box like a classic poacher. Unfortunately, that type of striker rarely succeeds today. Modern forwards require power and pace. They must hold the ball up well. Naderi struggles with those aspects.
He does not reach great positions often and lacks presence. He rarely lays the ball off effectively but works hard and runs constantly. However, that resembles the headless chicken approach. He does not look worth £5M. He was a huge gamble. It appears a panic signing. Even Youssef Chermiti now looks the better option. That highlights Rangers’ weak attack. There are simply not enough goals. Rangers have scored a few recently. Nevertheless, the problem remains. Naderi does not look like a Rangers level reserve. He certainly does not resemble a Rangers striker. At £5M, expectations were far higher. However, we knew his previous level. He came from Germany’s third division. Some fans defend every club decision. Ibrox Noise cannot support that view here. Naderi currently looks like an expensive failure. He arrived as a panic signing. It shows clearly. 4/10
Overall Verdict
That covers all the signings from this window. We would describe one as a resounding success. One appears reasonable. One sits below expectations. One looks like an outright failure. That does not represent great value for £13M. That amount broke Rangers’ January spending record. Rangers remain third in the table. Our January window alone equals roughly half of Hearts’ squad value. Yet Hearts sit comfortably top of the league. It was not the best window. The squad also looks weaker than hoped despite Rangers’ January signings review. That is not an encouraging position for the club.