Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Wed 13 May 2026 9:10, UK

Rangers boss Danny Rohl has been linked with a return to Germany over the past week, while his future at Ibrox remains uncertain.

Last week, it was reported that relegation-threatened Wolfsburg were interested in Rohl, and now is appears he is also on Bayer Leverkusen’s radar.

The 2023-24 champions have endured a difficult season, with Kasper Hjulmand’s side sitting sixth heading into the final day after the Dane replaced Erik ten Hag just two matches into the campaign.

Rohl has come under scrutiny from many associated with the club after Rangers were effectively knocked out of the title race by three successive defeats.

After the Wolfsburg links, Leverkusen may prove a more appealing option for the Rangers boss if he wants a return home this summer.

Bayer Leverkusen would be a big step for Danny Rohl

Rohl is one of a number of names on Leverkusen’s managerial wishlist heading into the summer.

For many years, the club on the outskirts of Cologne had taken the nickname ‘Neverkusen’ as a result of the constant failure to get over the line and add to their trophy cabinet.

That changed in 2024, when Xabi Alonso guided the club to an unbeaten domestic double in the 2023-24 campaign, completely shifting expectations around the BayArena as a result.

Following Alonso’s departure at the end of the 2024-25 term, the club underwent wholesale change, with Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah, Granit Xhaka and Jeremie Frimpong all leaving.

Taking over in September, Hjulmand inherited a youthful squad packed with talent, though he has been unable to get the most out of it this term, losing most of the big matches against Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart and, naturally, Bayern Munich.

Still, with Ibrahim Maza, Ernest Poku, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Equi Fernandez, the chance is there to build the next title-challenging group, as Alonso did after arriving in 2022.

If a move were available to Rohl, the case for him to take it is clear: the chance to coach one of the expected challengers in his home country, where he remains highly rated.

Wolfsburg would not provide the same step for Danny Rohl

Last week, Ibrox News covered Wolfsburg’s links with Rohl, discussing the club’s place in German football.

Alongside Wolfsburg, owned by Volkswagen, Leverkusen are the second Bundesliga club exempt from the 50+1 rule, with the ‘Werkself’ nickname [Workers’ Eleven] deriving from their foundation as a club for employees of pharmaceutical giants Bayer.

Unlike Wolfsburg, Leverkusen sit in a footballing hotbed, with FC Köln and Borussia Monchengladbach as Rhine region neighbours, while Borussia Dortmund, Schalke and Bochum are not too far away in the Ruhrpott.

This, along with the area’s population, has allowed the club to grow an organic fanbase, unlike Wolfsburg, which was founded simply as a town for Volkswagen.

At Leverkusen, there is the chance to coach at the top end of the Bundesliga, at a club with more financial freedom than anyone else in the division through Bayer’s ownership, and where recruitment is not always tied to revenue.

And while that lack of financial barriers draws criticism across Germany, the organic nature of the fanbase means the club receive less criticism than Wolfsburg.

If Rohl were to return to Germany, the BayArena could be the perfect landing spot.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.