Malik Tillman may have played final game for Rangers after transfer and injury news
Four Lads Had A Dream writer Steven Clifford has predicted that Malik Tillman has played his last game in a Rangers shirt, as stated on Rangers Review morning briefing [01 May].
He feels that the player won’t stay at Ibrox, nor does he want to, in what will be arguably the biggest decision made at the club over the summer, due to the impact on the transfer budget.
Tillman was substituted in the first half of the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic on Sunday, due to a hamstring issue.
Clifford also cast doubt on paying the fee required to make the German-American a permanent addition in Glasgow.
“I don’t think you can justify over £5million, probably more because we think it’s just below six,” he said. “I think that if Tillman’s clause was £2-3m, every single one of us would be saying go and make that happen.
“I’m not sure Malik Tillman wants to stay at Rangers in all honesty, we really need to get that big question right. I don’t expect him to stay and I don’t think we’ll see him again in a Rangers shirt if that is a hamstring injury (v Celtic).
“It’s definitely been a positive move but I just think it’s difficult when there’s been no big game performances to justify that kind of fee.
“I would go on record as saying I don’t think Malik Tillman will stay at Rangers, I don’t think he wants to.”
Critical decision
If player and club decide to make a permanent deal happen, it would represent a critical decision in what will be a transformative transfer period for Rangers.
There will be a significant turnover of players as stated by the manager and buying Tillman, would take up a big chunk of the budget that will be available. Doubters would say it should be better spent, on a direct replacement for Alfredo Morelos or Ryan Kent.
There is also the structure of the deal with Bayern Munich with the Bavarian giants said to have a buy-back option. It would be a strange situation if the club was to turn an instant profit with an agreed purchase and immediate sale, though Bayern would likely have other ideas, especially if Tillman wants out of Scotland.
Once the extent of his injury is known, we will be better informed but even a two to three-week layoff would be expected meaning that he could well have played for the club for the last time.
In other Rangers news, Michael Beale responds to a question of 12 players to leave Ibrox this summer.