Rangers And Celtic Lose Out On £8.5m Midfielder To Sporting Lisbon: Setback For Rohl? | OneFootball

Both Glasgow clubs have suffered a significant setback in their respective pursuit of BK Hacken’s prize defensive midfielder, Silas Andersen, with Scandinavian outlet Tipsbladet, via Glasgow World, reporting that the 21-year-old Dane has agreed to join Sporting Lisbon. Rangers and Celtic had both been keeping close tabs on the player throughout recent months, following an initial January interest that never materialised into a firm bid. Now, according to the same report, the deal is structured at an initial £6.4m rising to approximately £8.9m in performance-related add-ons.

Rangers Miss Out As Hacken Star Seals Portugal Switch

The player arrived in Gothenburg only in January of last year after Hacken signed him from Utrecht, yet he wasted no time establishing himself, racking up 57 appearances and nine goals during his time with the Swedish club. He trained through Inter Milan’s academy as a youth player and represents Denmark at various age-group levels, credentials that naturally attracted attention well beyond Scotland. Sporting agreed a deal worth €7.5m plus €2.5m in bonuses, and the player is expected to fly out to Portugal to complete a five-year contract with this season’s Champions League quarter-finalists.

Rangers had made formal enquiries during the winter window, with the Ibrox side identifying him as a priority and Norwegian advisor Stig Inge Bjornebye understood to have recommended him to the Govan outfit. Despite that inside knowledge, the Ibrox club could not compete with a top-flight Iberian giant offering European football and a substantially larger wage structure.

Why This Hurts Rangers More Than Celtic?

TALLAGHT, IRELAND – OCTOBER 02: Silas Andersen of BK Hacken is challenged by Jonathan Lunney of Shelbourne during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Shelbourne FC and BK Hacken at Tallaght Stadium on October 02, 2025 in Tallaght, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Rangers ended the 2025-26 season without silverware, and the midfield position sat right at the heart of their troubles. The attempt to plug the defensive midfield gap with Joe Rothwell proved a costly misjudgement, with the player departing in January after it became clear the move had not worked out. That vacancy never really got filled, and it shaped the entire season’s narrative.

Rangers had earmarked the Danish midfielder as someone who had the technical composure with genuine defensive awareness, and the club believed Champions League qualification might give them a financial advantage to compete for his services. That calculation proved too optimistic. Sporting’s resources, combined with genuine Champions League football, made the conversation a straightforward one for the player.

The deeper frustration for Rangers centres on timing. The Ibrox side are simultaneously going through several other midfield targets this summer, with Sunderland’s Dan Neil having agreed personal terms and the club moving on multiple fronts to reshape central areas. Losing a player they had monitored for the better part of six months forces a rethink in what was already a stretched list of options. Celtic, having secured Champions League qualification through their Scottish Cup final win, has more financial flexibility into this window. For Rangers, every missed target carries a heavier cost.