Rangers must use James Sands scenario to their advantage in Malik Tillman hunt
Rangers have the chance to sign James Sands in the summer – and turning down that option could allow for Malik Tillman’s move to be made permanent.
According to US journalist Tom Bogert (Twitter, 7 June), the Gers have the chance to buy the 22-year-old defender for £4.7million when his loan deal ends.
However, the American defender has seen minutes hard to come by under Michael Beale and it certainly not manager’s preferred central defensive pairing, with Ben Davies and Connor Goldson shoo-ins to start.
It seems unlikely the board will be happy to sanction a substantial transfer fee for a player who is more than likely going to be a backup option in the 2023/24 season.
By refusing to take the option up on Sands, the Gers could instead move to make Tillman’s move permanent from Bayern Munich. According the BILD journalist Christian Falk (14 September), the Light Blues can make the 20-year-old’s move permanent for £6.2million.
If there was ever a plan to sign Sands permanently it must be scrapped and the money should instead be invested in extending the attacker’s spell at Ibrox.
Effectively, the Gers would only be paying £1.5million for Tillman if they had already set the money aside to sign Sands. The American has been sensational since Beale arrived at the club and could well go on to be a huge asset in the coming years.
His performances have been well beyond his years and although it would be a big outlay, it’s certainly one the board should be strongly considering.
In other Rangers news, the Ibrox bank is set for a cash boost after a document emerged on Wednesday.