Expert - Rangers taking 'risk' in January transfer market

Jan 28, 2026 - 14:00

Rangers’ backing of Danny Rohl in the January transfer window may impact what the club can spend in the summer.

That is according to ex-Aberdeen, Aston Villa, and Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who thinks Rangers are bringing some spending forward in a bid to strengthen the squad now.

Rangers’ 3-0 win over Dundee means Rohl’s side are just four points behind league leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership table.

Andreas Skov Olsen has joined Rangers on loan from Wolfsburg in one of three signings, with movement still on the cards before the window slams shut.

Rangers ‘bringing spending forward’ in title bid

Aberdeen’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004, had lengthy spells as the chief of Everton and Aston Villa and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Rangers may have to make a decision on Youssef Chermiti’s future amid their January spending.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks the club are taking a “risk” to try and win the title and qualify for European competition next season.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I think they’re moving some of the spending forward from the summer. As I say, we’re not talking about major money, we’re not talking about, you know, in the tens of millions. I think we’re still talking five million or under, but I think that is money that would have been earmarked for the summer.

“I think they are bringing it forward, but I think the key will be if there is any interest in some of the Danilo’s and the Chermiti’s as well. That’s where they’ve got to decide whether they keep rolling the dice with Chermiti and try and make him into a more exciting product.

“He has shown flashes and certainly if he can put a few more in the second half of the season, then he becomes a much more saleable asset, obviously in the summer, but he must have a really good second half of the season for that to be the case. So that’s the sort of gamble they’ve got to be evaluating right now.

“But I do think that they’re getting the backing, and they will bring some summer money forward. I think they are prepared to try and take that risk. This is all against the backdrop of the Scottish coefficient basically evaporating in terms of European competitions. So it becomes very important to actually try and win the league now as opposed to coming second or third.

“It makes a big difference in how you actually try and enter European competitions. So with that backdrop it means a lot that they have to try and roll the dice and go forward.”