Rangers wanted a right-sided threat who could hurt teams in Europe. They didn’t wait long to see it. Less than a day after signing, Oliver Antman won a penalty and laid on a goal in a 3-0 Champions League qualifying win over Viktoria Plzeň at Ibrox—an immediate answer to a problem position that has nagged the club for months.
The Scottish Premiership side confirmed the 23-year-old’s arrival from Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles in a deal worth an initial £3 million, with performance add-ons pushing the fee beyond £4 million. Antman has signed a four-year contract and becomes the ninth addition of a busy window, while the transfer marks the most expensive outgoing in the Dutch club’s history.
Antman lands in Glasgow with numbers that jump off the page: six goals and 15 assists in 32 Eredivisie matches last season, recognition in the Team of the Season lists from EA Sports FC 25 and Opta, and a pivotal role in Go Ahead Eagles’ first-ever KNVB Cup triumph after beating AZ Alkmaar in the final. That campaign didn’t just build his reputation; it hardened him in big moments.
There’s an international edge too. Capped more than 20 times by Finland, he scored three goals in five Euro 2024 qualifiers, including a decisive strike in a 1-0 away win against Kazakhstan. For Rangers, who have leaned on experience and mentality in European qualifiers, that blend of composure and pace carries clear value.
Why Rangers moved for Antman
Rangers have been missing a natural, consistent right-wing option. Kieran Dowell has filled in, but he’s not a pure touchline winger. The team needed pace on the outside, quick feet in tight spaces, and someone who can create off the dribble against compact back lines. Antman’s profile fits that brief: direct, busy without the ball, and comfortable making runs beyond the striker.
Manager Russell Martin didn’t hide his enthusiasm. He called Antman versatile, hungry, and a player who can “add a new dimension” to the attack. That last part is the point. Rangers often generate pressure through possession and territory, but they’ve lacked an outlet who can break structure on his own. Antman offers that nuisance factor—carry the ball 20 yards, force a foul, or slip a runner through when the defense expects a backward pass.
His Eredivisie output backs it up. Fifteen assists speak to vision, timing, and a knack for the final ball rather than just volume crossing. The Dutch league rewards technical players who can find blind-side angles, and Antman’s habit of cutting back quality passes rather than floating hopeful deliveries should translate to Ibrox, where opponents often defend deep and narrow.
There’s also a strategic layer to the fee. At 23 with top-flight and international experience, Antman sits in the sweet spot between immediate impact and resale upside. The structure—an initial fee plus add-ons—protects Rangers’ risk while incentivizing production. For Go Ahead Eagles, it’s a landmark sale that reflects how sharply his market value rose after a cup run and standout season.
Inside the squad, the arrival resets the depth chart on the right. It doesn’t just create competition; it changes how the front line can function. With a winger who stretches play or drifts inside to combine, the full-back behind him can overlap more aggressively, and the central midfield can push into the box knowing there’s service and cutbacks from the byline. Expect Martin to use him both high and wide and as a second runner from the half-space when chasing a goal.
What his quick debut says
Debuts don’t always mean much. This one did. Antman looked comfortable with the pace, drew contact by isolating defenders, and earned a penalty through sharp footwork. The assist for the third goal showed awareness rather than flash: a clean decision at the end of a fast move. That’s exactly what the staff has been asking for—end product wrapped in control.
There’s a practical note here about adaptation. Paperwork was sorted quickly, he slotted straight into the XI, and the team played through him without overcomplicating his role. Keep the touch count sensible, attack the full-back, recycle when crowded, then go again. It’s the kind of bedding-in plan that reduces risk and builds chemistry fast, which matters with European qualifiers coming thick and fast.
Style-wise, supporters saw the traits that made him attractive: acceleration over the first five yards, the willingness to receive under pressure, and the cut-throat timing of his passes in the box. He doesn’t need 90 minutes to influence a game; he needs half a yard and a clear read. In qualifiers, where margins are tight, that can swing ties.
The bigger question is how quickly that translates to week-to-week Premiership football. The Scottish league is physical, the fixtures come fast, and opponents will test him with double-teams and angled challenges. The upside is that Rangers will have more of the ball domestically, giving Antman the platform to rack up chance creation while working on the defensive habits the staff demand in transition.
There’s also the shape question. Martin can use him in a 4-3-3 as a touchline winger or tuck him inside in a 4-2-3-1 when chasing control. Either way, his movement should open pockets for the No. 9 and the advanced midfielder to attack crosses and cutbacks. If he strikes early chemistry with the overlapping right-back, the right flank could become Rangers’ primary route to goal.
If you’re looking for the risk factors, they’re the usual ones for a winger moving leagues: decision-making speed against tight blocks, physical duels against full-backs who lead with the shoulder, and the demands of tracking runners in games where Rangers push their line high. The staff’s bet is that his Eredivisie education and international minutes shorten the learning curve.
From a recruitment viewpoint, the timing is smart. Bringing in a creator before the European cut-off dates raises the ceiling for this stage of the season. It also reduces the need to overplay returning players in wide areas. Antman’s presence spreads minutes, gives the bench a genuine change-of-pace option if he doesn’t start, and ensures opponents can’t key on one flank.
The fee and contract length reveal the plan: develop him inside Rangers’ structure and let the numbers follow. Wingers in Glasgow aren’t judged on flair alone; they’re judged on goals, assists, and how they perform in games that decide trophies. Antman’s output in the Netherlands suggests he’s comfortable living with that scoreboard pressure.
The early return is promising, but the club isn’t pretending the job is done. There’s a gap between a sharp debut and sustained influence across four competitions. Antman still has to learn teammates’ runs, adjust to Scottish pitches and weather, and find the balance between risk and control that wins tight matches in December and April. The signs, though, point in the right direction.
Key numbers and notes from the move:
- Fee: £3m initial, rising above £4m with add-ons
- Contract: Four years
- 2023–24 Eredivisie: 6 goals, 15 assists in 32 matches
- Honours: KNVB Cup winner; first in Go Ahead Eagles history
- Recognition: Team of the Season selections by EA Sports FC 25 and Opta
- International: 20+ caps for Finland; 3 goals in 5 Euro 2024 qualifiers
- Debut: Won a penalty and assisted in 3-0 vs Viktoria Plzeň (UCL qualifying)
For now, the takeaway is simple: Rangers needed a right-sided spark. They paid for it. And in his first night under the Ibrox lights, Antman gave them exactly what they bought—speed, end product, and the hint of more to come.
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