Qudus SalihuDanny Röhl is reportedly “fuming” after the Rangers board blocked a high-profile move for January transfer target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain over a series of “bizarre” and purely structural reasons. The 32-year-old former Liverpool and Arsenal star, available as a free agent following his departure from Besiktas, was identified by Röhl as the veteran leader needed to fix the Gers’ engine room, but the hierarchy has dramatically pulled the plug.
Sources close to the club suggest the board’s rejection wasn’t based on finances or the player’s quality, but rather an rigid internal policy concerning age profiles and long-term sell-on value. The decision has completely divided the fanbase; while some supporters agree with avoiding older players with injury histories, a large portion of the Ibrox faithful are stunned that a Champions League winner was rejected when the squad is “crying out” for top-level experience.
Röhl, who only recently took the hotseat on a two-and-a-half-year deal, is understood to be frustrated by the lack of autonomy over his first major recruitment request. Pundits have warned that this early friction risks setting Röhl up as a “scapegoat” if the board refuses to back his vision with proven talent. With Celtic now reportedly sniffing around the midfielder, the fallout from this board intervention could define the upcoming transfer window and Röhl’s immediate future at the club.
Rabiu Aminu
Qudus Salihu
Mustapha Sheidu