Glasgow Rangers have always relied on the loan market to strengthen their first team over the years.
In today's market, spending millions on a variety of players is simply not economical, especially when the vast majority of them have been expensive failures (Sam Lammers, for example) who have drained the club's resources.
This makes a temporary move a much more logical option. Bringing in a player for a season, sometimes with the parent club paying the majority of his salary (Aaron Ramsey) while having an extra body on the team.
Recently, Philippe Clement brought in Mohamed Diomande and Oscar Cortés for initial loan deals, before securing them on permanent contracts.
Sometimes the moves work, sometimes they don't, but it's no secret that the Ibrox team have had the pleasure of seeing players at the club who have shone during a temporary arrangement and there's nothing worse than having feelings for a star on loan.
Let's take a look at some of the best from recent years.
Rangers' best loan players over the years
Alex McLeish got the services of Grégory Vignal ahead of Liverpool's 2004/05 campaign, and he became an important member of the team that won the League Cup and domestic title. His goal against Celtic at Parkhead won't soon be forgotten either.
A few years later, Walter Smith signed a six-month contract with Steven Davis. The Northern Irishman scored against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup before signing permanently at the end of the season, becoming one of the best players in the club's recent history.
Fast forward to recent years and the signing of Ryan Kent has been a storm with fans. English scored six goals and eight assistsendearing himself even more to supporters by punching Scott Brown during an Old Firm clash.
Players like Jermain Defoe and Ianis Hagi both played for the club during their early loan spells before joining permanently, but the less said about Ramsey's time at Ibrox, the better.
Abdallah Sima enjoyed major success last season, scoring a total of 16 goals and notching two assists, but a permanent deal could not be reached over the summer.
One name stands out among the loan stars of recent years and there is certainly some regret at not securing a permanent deal when the opportunity presented itself: Malik Tillman.
Malik Tillman Rangers Stats
Among Giovanni Van Bronckhorst's summer 2022 recruits was Tillman, who signed a one-year contract of Bayern Munich.
Where are they now
Where are they now
Your star player or biggest failure has left the club, but what is he doing now? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Despite his tender age and frail frame, Tillman gave a glimpse of his incredible talent by becoming score 12 goals and record five assists in 43 matches in all competitions for the Glasgow side.
Against Motherwell in a tense match in October 2022, Tillman announced himself correctly by taking the ball in his own half before speeding past a handful of opposition players, eventually slotting the ball into the net, which helped the club to secure a vital 2-1. earn.
Gers had an option to buy Tillman for a fees of around £5.8 million German giants.
Due to his performances in Scotland, Bayern knew he would attract big money elsewhere and the purchase deal was canceled, with the Bundesliga side paying £1 million and 10% of any future sale of the player .
A few months later, Tillman joined PSV Eindhoven for a first loan, before signing permanently during the summer for a announced a price tag of £12 million – fees that the Light Blues simply could not afford.
Fast forward to the present day, and the American is one of the best young talents in the world after several excellent performances in the Champions League.
The dazzling value of Malik Tillman at PSV
The former Rangers loan star certainly lived up to his reputation during his first season at Eindhoven, score nine goals and recording 15 assists in all competitions in winning the domestic title whilst reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
This was, however, just a precursor of what was to come in the current season, as Tillman took his game to new heights for the club.
Five goals and an assist in the Eredivisie boosted PSV's chances of retaining their domestic title, but it was in Europe's premier club competition where Tillman made the difference.
|
Malik Tillman's stats for PSV this season |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric |
Eredivisie |
Champions League |
|
Goals |
5 |
3 |
|
Aids |
1 |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
6 |
1 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.8 |
3.6 |
|
Successful dribbles per match |
1.6 |
1.6 |
Three goals and two assists as the club has seen them pick up eight points from their five matches so far.
Recently, in the match against Shakhtar Donetsk, PSV won 3-2, but it was thanks to the 22-year-old's antics that led the Dutch team to victory, according to the journalist Herculez Gomez praises his “world-class finishing from distance”.
It was certainly a performance that will be remembered for a long time and these displays certainly began to attract a lot of attention from potential suitors.
Indeed, at the end of last season, the former Ajax star Kenneth Perez spoke about Tillman's quality, especially regarding his market value, saying:
“Arne Slot always tells Feyenoord that his players must first learn to work hard and pressure. If Tillman also learns this at PSV, then they really made a good choice. That £12 million will soon become £120 million.
On this basis, it appears that Rangers have certainly missed a trick by not trying to secure Tillman permanently towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
If the £120m-rated American can continue to produce the goods for PSV between now and the end of the season, the Dutch side could be able to turn a serious profit on the attacking midfielder next summer.
It’s a case of what could have been for the Ibrox side, there’s no doubt about it.
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