Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has some huge decisions to make when the January transfer window officially opens for business next week.

The Light Blues fell 12 points adrift of league leaders Hearts after losing 2-1 at Tynecastle on Sunday, which means that their title hopes are already fading.

However, they will still be fighting for second place and have the SFA Cup to target in the second half of the season, so making moves in January could be key to that.

The key priorities Rangers should have in January

Signing a new number nine should be one of the key priorities for Rohl and the board when the January transfer window opens for business, because their current striker options have not done enough.

Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski have combined for five goals in the Scottish Premiership, per Sofascore, which is a paltry return that should force the club to consider making a move for a new striker who could come in and score goals at a more consistent rate.

A creative attacking midfielder or winger should also be on the agenda for the Light Blues. Per WhoScored, no attacking midfielder or winger in the squad has produced more than two league assists, which speaks to a lack of creativity at the top end of the pitch.

Thelo Aasgaard was signed from Luton in the summer to provide quality as an attacking midfielder, but he has as many red cards (one) as goals (one) for Rangers.

On top of signing those two attacking profiles, the Gers should also be looking to thin out their squad by parting ways with some players who have rarely played. For example, Kieran Dowell has not featured since August, and Rabbi Matondo is yet to make a matchday squad this season.

Rangers could also cash in on some of their star players in order to create funds for a squad overhaul. With this in mind, Rohl must ruthlessly sell Mohamed Diomande, who has been an even bigger flop than Nicolas Raskin.

Why Rangers should sell Diomande

Journalist Jonny McFarlane claimed that Raskin has “been really poor” and claimed that Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin “dominated” him against Hearts, as the Belgian has fallen off after his impressive form last term.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

FootballFanCast suggested on Monday that the club’s reported interest in Pierre Ekwah could be the end of the Belgium international, as his arrival would allow the Ibrox giants to part ways with him.

Diomande and Raskin combined for ten goals and 20 assists in all competitions in midfield for Rangers last season, per Sofascore, but they have both fallen off and failed to carry their strong form into the 2025/26 campaign.

The Ivorian midfielder, for example, has been shown more red cards (two) than he has scored goals (one) in all competitions for the Light Blues, having been sent off twice already in the league phase of the Europa League.

After the 2-1 defeat to Hearts, writer Michael McEwan posted that “Diomande’s obsession with turning on the ball every time he’s in possession is utterly infuriating” and said that he got “bullied” by the Jam Tarts midfield.

As you can see in the table above, Raskin has also significantly outperformed Diomande in the Premiership so far this season, with superior output in and out of possession in the middle of the park.

Subscribe to the newsletter for transfer window insights

Get deeper context on Rangers’ transfer plans — subscribe to the newsletter for clear breakdowns of potential signings, sell-or-keep debates, and how moves could reshape the squad so you understand the club’s priorities.

Subscribe

Subscribe to the newsletter for transfer window insights

Get deeper context on Rangers’ transfer plans — subscribe to the newsletter for clear breakdowns of potential signings, sell-or-keep debates, and how moves could reshape the squad so you understand the club’s priorities.

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The left-footed midfielder was linked with a move to Besiktas during the summer transfer window, which suggests that there could be interest in him if Rangers decide they want to cash in.

Given that he has been an even bigger flop than Raskin this season, as evidenced by their respective statistics and Diomande’s two red cards, it could make sense to sell him in the January transfer window.

Cashing in on the 24-year-old flop now, before his form continues to decline and his valuation drops lower and lower, could be the right move to make, and it could allow Rohl to reinvest in other positions if the club can rake in a decent fee for his services.

£7m Rangers duo have been so poor they make Miovski & Chermiti look good

This £7m Rangers duo have been so underwhelming at Ibrox that they even make Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti look good.

By
Dan Emery