Glasgow Rangers return to competitive action again on Wednesday night when they travel to Greece to take on Panathinaikos in the second leg of their second round Champions League qualifier.
The Light Blues head to Greece with a 2-0 lead on aggregate after they beat them at Ibrox last week in Russell Martin’s first official match in charge of the club.
Goals from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama in the second half wrapped up the win for the Gers, as both wingers cut inside from the left to fire the ball into the back of the net from distance.
It was a first chance for Ibrox supporters to watch Gassama in action after his move from English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, and he showed what he is about with his strike.
The French winger produced eight goals and one assist in all competitions for the Owls last season, which suggests that Rangers fans can expect him to provide more quality as a goalscorer this term.
However, the Light Blues may be in the market for further additions in the wide areas because they still lack creativity in those positions, as they look to find their new Ryan Kent.
Why Rangers need to find their next Ryan Kent
In the 2024/25 campaign, no Rangers attacking midfielder or winger provided more than five assists in the Scottish Premiership, and no player in any position racked up more than James Tavernier’s tally of seven assists.
This suggests that the Light Blues are in need of a winger who can consistently open up the opposition’s defence with passes and crosses to create high-quality chances for their teammates to find the back of the net.
The Gers did have a winger who had the quality to consistently provide assists from the flanks when they had Kent on their books between 2018 and 2023, particularly in his final few seasons at Ibrox.
22/23
44
3
10
21/22
46
3
19
20/21
52
13
14
19/20
33
8
4
18/19
43
6
9
As you can see in the table above, the English forward hit double figures for assists in his last three seasons with the club, and produced at least nine assists in four of his five years in Glasgow.
These statistics show that he was a consistent creative threat down the left wing for the Gers, although they also show that he was inconsistent as a goalscorer.
Rangers are now looking to add more creativity to their squad to improve the team, and a fresh report suggests that they are on the verge of landing their next version of Ryan Kent.
Rangers set to sign new winger
According to the Daily Record, the Premiership giants have agreed a deal with Go Ahead Eagles to sign winger Oliver Antman to bolster their squad.
The report claims that the Finland international is poised to become the latest addition to Martin’s team within the next 24 to 48 hours, with a possible debut to come against Motherwell in the Premiership on Saturday.
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It adds that a fee of around £5m has been mentioned for the 23-year-old right-sided attacker, who is now set to agree personal terms before completing a medical and officially signing for the club.
The Daily Record explains that the two teams have made progress on a deal for the forward in recent days, and a fee has now been agreed to bring the Finnish whiz to Ibrox this summer.
It now appears to be only the finer details, including a medical and media duties, that need to be finalised before the Gers can officially announce Antman as their new hero.
Why Oliver Antman could be the new Ryan Kent for Rangers
Rangers could finally have their new Ryan Kent in the building once they get this deal over the line in the coming hours or days, as he is an incredibly creative forward.
Antman is not a like-for-like in comparison to the English forward, because he predominantly plays on the right rather than the left, but they share the same creative qualities.
The Finland international, who assisted a goal for his country against Scotland last year, enjoyed a stunning season with Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie in the 2024/25 campaign, as he showcased his ability to create goals on a regular basis.
Like Kent, Antman struggled at times as a goalscorer. He only scored six goals from 6.99 xG in the Dutch top-flight, which shows that the winger was too wasteful in front of goal, but the £5m-rated star made up for that with his assists.
Starts
28
Goals
6
Key passes per game
1.6
Big chances created
16
xA
6.54
Assists
15
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old talent created a whopping 16 ‘big chances’ in 28 starts in the Eredivisie, which landed him 15 assists.
His tally of 15 assists in the league meant that he created more than double as many league goals for his side in comparison to Tavernier, who was the top creator for Rangers in the Premiership last term with seven.
This suggests that Antman, who was aptly described as a “creative” winger by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the potential to be a Kent-esque figure on the flank for Rangers due to his ability to consistently create ‘big chances’ for his teammates to find the back of the net.
Of course, the young attacker is unproven in the Premiership and needs to show that he can do it in Scottish football, but his form for Go Ahead Eagles shows that the potential is there for him to be an incredibly creative presence out wide for Martin.
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Hopefully, Rangers will wrap this deal up sooner rather than later and supporters will get the opportunity to see him in action for the first time on Saturday against Motherwell.
