Rangers In Fierce Battle For £4.3M Swede: Risking The Rebuild On A Single Roll Of Dice? | OneFootball

A fresh transfer battle has ignited in Norway, and Rangers are right in the thick of it. According to Norwegian broadcaster TV2 Sport, relayed via @MichaelcShearer on X, Greek powerhouse Olympiacos currently lead the race for Sandefjord central defender Zinedin Smajlović.

Rangers face fierce battle for Sandefjord defender Zinedin Smajlović

They aren’t alone. Newly promoted English Premier League side Hull City and Scottish Premiership heavyweights Rangers have both actively established contact with the Eliteserien club. Everyone wants to know what it will take to land the highly-rated 22-year-old Swede.

Interestingly, while European sides scramble for the former Lecce youth prospect, Glasgow rivals Celtic are completely out of the picture. The report suggests that Celts confirm the Parkhead club have no involvement in the current negotiations.

The Swedish under-21 international has been attracting attention with his imposing performances in Norway. Sandefjord already knocked back an initial £3,500,000 package from unnamed suitors earlier this year. Now, the Eliteserien outfit are holding out for a fee closer to £4,300,000. It is a steep asking price for a young defender, but one that has clearly not deterred a growing list of admirers across the continent.

The McInnes dilemma: Risking the rebuild on a single roll of the dice

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 13: Thelo Aasgaard of Rangers celebrates scoring his teams first goal during the William Hill Premiership match between Rangers and Hibernian at Ibrox Stadium on May 13, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Derek McInnes needs surgery at Ibrox, fast. Inheriting a squad that slumped to a miserable third-place finish, 10 points adrift of the top, means the new boss has an almighty job on his hands. He needs five or six fresh faces to make this team competitive again.

Spending £4,300,000 on one unproven defender? That is a massive gamble.

Look at the facts. Sanctioning a deal of that magnitude severely limits the recruitment drive elsewhere on the pitch. It breaks the budget. If Olympiacos inflate the bidding war any further, Rangers must walk away. Don’t look back.

McInnes historically thrives when stretching small budgets to construct balanced, hard-working units. We saw it just weeks ago. He guided Hearts to a sensational second-place finish, right above the Light Blues, on a fraction of the cost. Why abandon that shrewd approach now?

Chasing an unproven asset at inflated Scandinavian prices introduces unnecessary pressure. It is reckless. Proven Scottish Premiership experience or cheaper continental alternatives could solidify the backline far more efficiently. Shrewd squad building requires distributing resources logically across multiple areas. Rangers simply need to pivot to more cost-effective targets to give their new manager the squad depth required to mount a sustainable title challenge.