Following Monday’s news that CEO Patrick Stewart and Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell have left the club, due in no small part to overseeing one of the worst transfer windows of the century, the players signed in the summer are assessed below and rated based on the impact they’ve made so far.
Lyle Cameron — 5/10
Signed on a pre-contract after being Dundee’s standout performer last season, Cameron looked a sensible addition on paper. He made a positive start with tidy performances and a vital goal away to Plzen in the Champions League qualifiers, but has since struggled for minutes, with injuries playing their part. There’s still a feeling he has more to give, and under Danny Röhl he may get the opportunities he needs to find form.
Oscar Cortés — 1/10
Another signing rubber-stamped by the previous regime, and to call his spell a disappointment is an understatement. After a reasonable start during his initial loan in early 2024, injuries derailed his season. Rangers inexplicably re-signed him on loan in the summer with a £4.5m obligation to buy, despite concerns at the time, and it only got worse: another poor start, another long-term injury, and then a permanent deal followed by an immediate loan out. A complete failure of recruitment, and all parties would benefit from a permanent exit as soon as possible.
Max Aarons — 2/10
Signed on loan from Bournemouth to be the first-choice right-back, Aarons failed to get anywhere near dislodging James Tavernier. Poor early performances saw him moved to left-back before being dropped altogether, and his comments about the pressure from the stands have raised questions about his mentality. His highlight remains the 96th-minute winner against Livingston, but too often he looks like a player regretting his decision to move north. Unlikely to return once the loan ends, and if it was even to be cut-short and ended in January, it wouldn’t shock anyone.
Joe Rothwell — 2/10
There was genuine excitement around Rothwell’s arrival, another from Bournemouth, after recent strong seasons on loan with Southampton and Leeds, but he has delivered the opposite of what Rangers thought they were getting. Instead of an energetic, box-to-box threat, he has looked slow, unfit, and unable to do the basics. He’s fallen further down the pecking order as the season has progressed, and appears to be another who will likely seek a move back down south sooner rather than later.
Emmanuel Fernandez — 5/10
Eyebrows were raised when Rangers paid a reported £3.5m for a League One defender, and Peterborough fans’ shock at the fee didn’t help. A shaky start, limited minutes, and an injury disrupted his early time at Ibrox. Recently back in the fold, he delivered a promising showing against Livingston, capped with a powerful header to open the scoring. Like Cameron, we’ve not seen enough to make firm judgements, but there are signs that more may come.
Thelo Aasgaard — 3/10
A signing that excited fans, Aasgaard arrived from Luton with a high ceiling and a profile that fit the club’s ambitions. But the Norwegian has struggled badly. Despite flashes, such as his exquisite strike against Dundee United, he drifts out of games, plays within himself, and often looks like he’s hiding. The talent is evident, but his output has been nowhere near good enough so far.
Nasser Djiga — 2/10
Arriving from Wolves on loan with a big reputation and a £10m price tag behind him, Djiga looked composed in the league opener against Motherwell, but it’s been downhill since. Shaky, error-prone, and visibly lacking confidence, he has been at the heart of several costly moments. A major disappointment and one of the biggest underperformers of the summer recruits.
Djeidi Gassama — 6/10
Signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.5m, Gassama came highly recommended and started superbly. A spectacular debut goal against Panathinaikos and another in the return leg showed his quality, and he has chipped in with a respectable goal return in a team that has struggled for them. His decision-making has dipped recently, but with Röhl, who knows him well from his time at Hillsborough, now in charge, there is hope he can rediscover his early form.
Mikey Moore — 5/10
Seen as a coup when he arrived on loan from Spurs, Moore struggled early on as a victim of Russell Martin’s failing system. He looked low on confidence and unable to influence games, until Röhl arrived. Since then, performances have surged, highlighted by his goal and MOTM display against Dundee. A recent injury has halted his momentum, but excitement around him is back, and his return to full fitness will be most welcome.
Oliver Antman — 3/10
The Finnish winger looked like a potential steal after leading the Eredivisie in assists and shining in a Go Ahead Eagles side that qualified for Europe last season. His debut against Plzen was outstanding, but his form has collapsed since. Short on confidence, in and out of the side, and lacking end product, Antman is another who badly needs a resurgence in the second half of the season.
Jayden Meghoma — 6/10
Thrown into a brutal situation after both senior left-backs were sold, the 19-year-old loanee has been asked to carry far more responsibility than expected. Despite some tough nights, especially in Europe, he has played well more often than not. His best display came in the gritty win at Easter Road, and he seems to be thriving under Röhl. If Brentford name a sensible fee, a permanent move isn’t unrealistic.
Bojan Miovski — 3/10
On paper, a smart signing: proven in Scotland, cheap at under £3m, and arriving with a good pedigree. After an encouraging Old Firm debut, Miovski has looked nothing like the striker who shone at Aberdeen. Two domestic goals aren’t enough, and without a quick turnaround, he’s in danger of being added to the growing list of attacking flops.
Youssef Chermiti — 2/10
By far the most controversial signing of the window. After already being signed by Thelwell, for Everton from Sporting Lisbon for £12 million, the former director of football astonishingly spent £10m to bring him to Ibrox from Merseyside. Fans were sceptical from the start, and Chermiti has done little to change minds. A decent cameo in Röhl’s first league game and a single goal, followed by a bizarre gesture at supporters, is all he has to show. Rangers will almost certainly have to cut their losses.
Derek Cornelius — 6/10
The final summer arrival, Cornelius came in on loan from Marseille and quietly impressed. Solid, athletic, and left-sided, he offered balance and looked set to nail down the position before an injury on international duty halted his progress. If he returns with the same level of consistency, a permanent deal next summer is a realistic possibility.
Verdict
The stark reality is that the summer transfer window has been a disaster. There have been one or two successes, with a couple more who might still pick up form, but overall it’s been a failure. The one positive heading into January is that the man who led the summer recruitment drive won’t be anywhere near the window this time, following his sacking earlier this week.
There’s hope, too, that these signings can improve under Danny Röhl, who has already impressed and overseen an upturn in form from some players.
But the fact remains: we cannot afford another transfer window anywhere near as poor as the one we’ve just witnessed. It has to be better, and with the wrong people now gone, it finally feels like that’s possible.