Exclusive: Kevin Thelwell transfer target to snub Rangers move if Danny Rohl is hired
Pierce Charles’ potential move to Ibrox could be off if Danny Rohl is hired as the new Rangers manager, Ibrox News understands.
Rangers tried and failed with a bid to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Charles in the summer transfer window.
It was reported that the Gers had offered £1million for the 20-year-old Northern Ireland international.
However, that offer was turned down, according to the Independent, even though the money offered would have gone a long way towards helping Dejphon Chansiri pay player and staff wages on time.
Kevin Thelwell and Sal Bibbo keen on Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles
Ibrox News has been told by a source that Rangers’ sporting director Kevin Thelwell has maintained an interest in Charles since the summer.
Sal Bibbo joined Rangers as their goalkeeping coach in June after previously working with Charles at Sheffield Wednesday.
It is understood that Bibbo is a big fan of Charles and would like to coach him again at Ibrox.
- Charles has made three appearances for Sheffield Wednesday this season, conceding eight goals
- He’s been out of action since August with a shoulder injury
- The eight-cap Northern Ireland goalkeeper saved two penalties in a shoot-out win over Bolton in the Carabao Cup in August
- You can watch Charles’ penalty heroics by hitting play on the video below
However, Russell Martin’s exit from Rangers and a change in leadership could end any chance of the Manchester-born shot-stopper making a move, with ex-Owls boss Rohl linked with filling the managerial vacancy in Govan.
Rohl would be keen on being the next Rangers manager after the 36-year-old German left Sheffield Wednesday in acrimonious circumstances in the summer.
Ibrox News has learned that Rangers would be interested in signing Charles, regardless of whether or not Rohl is their new manager.
However, the Northern Ireland goalkeeper might not be too keen to reunite with his former boss at Hillsborough, and that means Thelwell’s work on signing him could go to waste.
What happened when Danny Rohl left Sheffield Wednesday?
Rohl was a hugely popular figure at Wednesday having led a great escape from relegation in the 2023-24 season, then placing a respectable 12th in his one full campaign in charge, which included a few brief flirtations with the play-off spots.
But the relationship soured somewhat during a long, drawn-out saga with Rohl’s exit from Hillsborough, which came amid a stand-off with Chansiri.
The Owls are in a crisis that dates back to when Rohl was still in charge and the cash-strapped South Yorkshire outfit currently find themselves under six EFL embargoes.
Rohl initially did not return to pre-season on time with Wednesday before eventually resuming control of training. However, an agreement was eventually reached for the German to depart S6 at the end of July.
It was reported at the time that several members of the playing squad were unhappy with the manner in which Rohl delayed his return from the summer break.
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