Credit: Imago

Pete Hanson

Thu 21 May 2026 8:10, UK

Danny Rohl is facing a crucial summer as he looks to oversee yet another Rangers rebuild.

Supporters once chanted “Danny, Danny Rohl!” with glee as the Gers fought their way back in the Scottish Premiership title race after an awful start to the 2025-26 season under Russell Martin.

But that feel-good factor waned painfully in the closing weeks of the season as defeats to Motherwell, Hearts, Celtic, and Hibernian saw their title hopes collapse spectacularly.

It has led to a feeling of antipathy from the Ibrox faithful towards the former Sheffield Wednesday boss, who will know the pressure is on to deliver.

Andrew Cavenagh remains confident that Rohl is the right man, though, meaning Rangers have to get things right in the transfer market. With that in mind, here are two players who should be sold, and two who should stay for the 2026-27 campaign.

Sell – Jack Butland

One area where Rangers are simply going to have to improve over the summer is the goalkeeping department.

Back-ups Liam Kelly and Kieran Wright look certain to depart Ibrox in the coming weeks, so it might feel futile to allow Jack Butland to leave as well.

However, the errors that crept into his game during his second campaign in Govan reared their ugly head again in the closing stages of the season, and it is difficult to justify that he should be given another chance.

Rangers need a long-term, reliable number one, and there is little evidence that Butland can be that. It is time to accept that, and move him on.

Keep – Djeidi Gassama

This one really does come with a caveat, and that caveat is that Djeidi Gassama really is in the last-chance saloon at Ibrox.

Rohl worked with the Mauritania international during his time at Sheffield Wednesday, and knows all too well just how devastating he can be on his day – as evidenced by his electric start at Ibrox.

However, it also means he knows how infuriatingly inconsistent he can be, and the 22-year-old has to prove he can be a consistent threat.

There were big-money suitors reportedly interested in the winter window who were rebuffed in their attempts to sign Gassama. For now, it was the right decision – but Gassama needs to hit the ground running, and Rohl has to show he can consistently get the best out of the mercurial winger.

Sell – Youssef Chermiti

Youssef Chermiti’s future at Ibrox is one that will likely divide opinion among the fanbase.

Once seen as the poster boy of the awful Kevin Thelwell tenure, there was a real fear that the 21-year-old was going to be an £8million flop after joining from Everton last summer.

But, by the end of the campaign, Chermiti had finished with 15 goals in the Scottish Premiership as he turned his fortunes around.

Where Rangers have been guilty in the past is not knowing when to cash in, and with interest in Chermiti likely to be high, it would make sense to cash in now and re-invest the money to improving the sum of all the parts.

Other forwards such as Danilo and Bojan Miovski are likely to try and find new homes, so an overhaul of the striker department could be on the cards – but, if the price is right, then it would be prudent to sanction Chermiti’s exit.

Keep – Oliver Antman

Much like Gassama, this is one that will likely split opinion among the Rangers fanbase.

Oliver Antman has proven he can be a creative force when providing 15 assists in the Eredivisie for Go Ahead Eagles in the 2024-25 season.

But struggles with injuries meant he never really got going in a Rangers shirt in his debut campaign, so the jury is very much out on whether he can replicate it in Scotland.

For now, though, Rangers should persevere and try to get the most out of the 24-year-old Finland international.

Much like Gassama, though, it comes with the caveat that he needs a flying start to next season to justify keeping him around at Ibrox.

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