There was plenty of excitement inside Ibrox when Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed the signing of Andreas Skov Olsen and introduced him to the home crowd in January.
The Denmark international joined on loan from Wolfsburg with an option to make the deal permanent in the summer for a fee of just shy of £8m, a year on from joining the German side for £12m from Club Brugge.
There was excitement over his arrival at Ibrox because the winger had scored 49 goals and provided 30 assists in 124 matches during his time in Belgium.
Unfortunately, though, he has not brought that goalscoring form over to Scotland. The attacker has looked too one-paced and lacking in intensity at times, and has only scored once in ten appearances for the Gers.
Rangers lack speed and intensity with Skov Olsen playing out wide, which may be why he was an unused substitute against Falkirk, but they never lacked those things when Fashion Sakala played for the club.
Why Rangers should never have sold Fashion Sakala
Former Gers boss Michael Beale decided to sell Sakala to Al-Fayha in the summer of 2023, in the same window that he opted to bring in Danilo, Sam Lammers, and Cyriel Dessers, taking the pace and width out of the squad in an attempt to play a narrow 4-3-1-2 formation.
That was a mistake by the English boss, who was sacked in October of that year, as it meant that the Light Blues lacked the quality and intensity that the Zambian forward consistently provided.
Whether he played out wide on the left or right or as a striker, Sakala offered a constant threat with his movement, pace, and finishing quality, hence why he ended his career at Ibrox with 24 goals and 15 assists in 91 appearances.
Since leaving the club, the Zambia international has racked up 41 goals and 18 assists in 102 matches for Al-Fayha, whilst Dessers, Lammers, and Danilo have all either left or are out on loan.
Watching Skov Olsen’s one-paced style of play illustrates why Rangers should never have sold Sakala in the first place, because he offered something unique that is not easily replaced.
Rangers have hit the jackpot with their new Fashion Sakala
Whilst the Danish loanee is not the direct and pacey option that the Gers need out wide, there is another player in the squad who is quickly becoming the next Sakala at Ibrox.
Rangers swooped to sign Djeidi Gassama from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.2m last summer to bolster Russell Martin’s squad, and he was then reunited with his former Owls boss Danny Rohl in October.
The Mauritania international has struggled for consistency throughout the 2025/26 campaign, but his last two performances in the Scottish Premiership suggest that he is finally emerging as Sakala 2.0.
|
Djeidi Gassama |
Vs Dundee United |
Vs Falkirk |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
45 |
85 |
|
Shots |
2 |
3 |
|
Key passes |
3 |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
1 |
|
Carries |
14 |
20 |
|
Successful dribbles |
0 |
2 |
Gassama came on at half-time against Dundee United and used his pace to devastate their defence, creating three chances and two ‘big chances’, assisting Thelo Aasgaard’s goal.
The former PSG youngster then started in the 6-3 win over Falkirk and assisted Youssef Chermiti’s first goal with a burst to the byline and cross into the box, whilst he also played a part in the striker’s second goal.
Gassama has scored eight goals and provided six assists in 51 matches for Rangers, so he has yet to hit double figures for goals or assists, but his recent form shows that he is trending in the right direction.
His market value has also soared as a result of his performances for the Gers. The club rejected a £10m offer from Monaco during the January transfer window, which meant that they could have recorded an instant £7.8m profit on his services.
Rangers hit the jackpot with the former Championship star because his value has skyrocketed during his time at Ibrox, and he is now starting to look like he can be Rohl’s own version of Sakala.
The 22-year-old forward has the space and direct style of play to be a hugely effective and exciting operator for the Light Blues, but the next step for him to add more consistency to his game to become a superstar for the club.
His value has risen £16.5m at Ibrox: Rangers have struck gold on Aribo 2.0
Rangers have hit the jackpot on this star who looks like Joe Aribo 2.0 at Ibrox for Danny Rohl.
