Rohl can drop Aasgaard by bringing in £5m gem who’d be a “massive win” for Rangers
Glasgow Rangers manager Danny Rohl achieved his first Old Firm victory on Saturday, securing a 3-1 win against Celtic at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership. The Light Blues had to rally from a goal down after Hyun-jun Yang’s opener, ultimately securing the three points thanks to two strikes from Youssef Chermiti and another from Mikey Moore.
While there were numerous positives from this fantastic outcome, there remain areas that need attention in the upcoming January transfer window.
Why Rangers require a creative midfielder
The Scottish heavyweights still need to look for a new attacking midfielder, or at the very least, a central midfielder with attacking capabilities, to strengthen the squad this month.
Thelo Aasgaard was positioned as the attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 setup for Rangers, with Moore on the left and Djeidi Gassama on the right, but he endured a tough first half. The Norway international received a yellow card for dragging down Luke McCowan after a poor touch permitted the Scottish midfielder to evade him in midfield, prompting Rohl to substitute him at halftime.
Aasgaard has displayed better form recently, netting two goals and providing one assist across the last three league matches, yet doubts persist regarding his consistency and performance in crucial games, especially after failing to make an impact against Celtic. This situation is why Rangers should seek to acquire another option for the number ten role in January, ensuring they are not solely reliant on the former Luton star’s reliability.
The midfielder Rangers should recruit to replace Thelo Aasgaard
Towards the end of last month, reports emerged indicating that Rangers are among the clubs interested in a deal for Tromso central midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl, who carries a valuation of approximately £5m.
Kai Watson, creator and analyst at RangersJournal, referred to the 20-year-old as “one of the top talents in Norway” and asserted that securing his signature this month would represent a “massive win” for the club. His displays in the 2025 Eliteserien indicate that he is an exhilarating young talent, as Watson suggested, and that he could enhance what Aasgaard has brought to the Gers.
The £5m-valued player scored four goals and delivered four assists in 28 league appearances for Tromso last season, according to Sofascore, while completing 1.3 dribbles per match and winning 5.1 duels per game. Similar to Aasgaard, Hjerto-Dahl is a right-footed midfielder who usually plays on the left side of midfield, permitting him to cut inside onto his right foot within the box, as illustrated by his 2025 Eliteserien heat map (via Sofascore) below.
The Norwegian talent consistently demonstrated quality for Tromso in the last season, contributing both goals and assists despite his youth and lack of experience, which is more than can be said for Aasgaard this season at Rangers.
| 2025 Eliteserien | Hjerto-Dahl | Rank vs CMs |
|---|---|---|
| xG | 5.93 | Top 1% |
| Goals | 4 | Top 16% |
| xG on target | 5.85 | Top 3% |
| xA | 4.22 | Top 14% |
| Chances created | 30 | Top 14% |
| Assists | 4 | Top 16% |
As indicated in the table above, the 6 foot 4 midfielder was among the standout performers in the league concerning goal-scoring and creating opportunities.
Although a tally of four goals from 5.93 xG might initially appear subpar, the 5.85 xG on target indicates he was attempting high-quality shots that were, unfortunately, met with high-quality saves; thus, it suggests he was more unfortunate than lacking finishing skill.
In contrast, Aasgaard does not rank higher than the top 26% of his peers in the Premiership this season for either goals or assists, per FotMob, highlighting the quality divide between the two players. This indicates that Hjerto-Dahl could seamlessly step in as a replacement for Aasgaard as a consistent starter in midfield, functioning as either an attacking midfielder or on the left side of a midfield trio.
That being said, this does not imply that the Norwegian international’s tenure at Ibrox should be concluded, as he has demonstrated positive signs recently. However, it could present him with genuine competition and ensure he doesn’t assume a starting role consistently if his performances do not meet expectations.
Published: 2026-01-04 07:40:00
source: www.footballfancast.com
