Rangers boss Danny Rohl backed against Sheffield Wednesday transfer raid
Former Sheffield Wednesday head coach Danny Rohl has officially been appointed as the new manager of Rangers FC, following the dismissal of Russell Martin. However, despite his ties to Hillsborough, Rohl has been widely backed against raiding his former club for players during the upcoming January transfer window.
A New Chapter Begins at Ibrox
Rangers have endured a nightmarish start to the new season, crashing out of the Champions League qualifiers in humiliating fashion after a 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge. Domestically, things haven’t been much better — after eight league matches, the Glasgow giants sit sixth in the Scottish Premiership, with just one win to their name.
Russell Martin, the former Southampton boss brought in to rebuild and refresh the squad, struggled to implement his style, leading to a series of poor results and his eventual sacking. His brief tenure leaves Rangers 13 points adrift of league leaders Hearts, forcing the club into early crisis mode.
Gerrard Turned Down, Rohl Steps Up
Initially, Rangers made an ambitious move to reappoint Steven Gerrard, whose previous spell at Ibrox ended in success when he guided the club to an unbeaten Premiership title. Talks with the ex-Liverpool captain were reportedly positive at first, but Gerrard ultimately turned down the offer, explaining that the timing wasn’t right for a return.
After that setback, attention shifted to Danny Rohl, who had been out of work since his departure from Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the summer. Although Rohl initially withdrew his name from consideration, negotiations reopened when other candidates — including Kevin Muscat, a former Rangers midfielder and current Shanghai Port manager — fell through.
In the end, Rohl was officially unveiled as Rangers’ new head coach on Monday, marking another major step in the career of one of Europe’s most highly rated young tacticians.
Links to Sheffield Wednesday: Will Rohl Return for Reinforcements?
Rohl’s arrival in Glasgow immediately prompted speculation that he could return to Sheffield Wednesday to sign some of his former players. After all, he already knows Djeidi Gassama, a winger who previously played under him at Hillsborough and now plies his trade at Ibrox.
However, not everyone believes such a reunion is likely. Patrick McKenna, a Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit for Football League World, dismissed the idea that Rohl would target his old club for reinforcements in January.
“To be honest, there’s not a player I’m particularly worried about leaving,” McKenna said. “The squad is so weak right now that I can’t see many of our players being on the radar for clubs like Rangers.”
McKenna acknowledged that Pierce Charles, the young Northern Ireland goalkeeper, might attract attention from other clubs, but not necessarily from Rohl.
“Pierce Charles might draw interest in January, but I think other clubs — not Rangers — would be in for him. And as for Barry Bannan, there’s no chance. Being a lifelong Celtic fan, he’d never play for Rangers, and I doubt their fans would want that anyway.”
Could Pierce Charles Be the Exception?
Still, Pierce Charles remains an intriguing case. The 20-year-old shot-stopper is arguably Wednesday’s most valuable asset. Despite suffering a shoulder injury earlier this season, he has already earned eight senior caps for Northern Ireland and is widely regarded as his country’s future number one.
Last season, Charles competed with Brighton loanee James Beadle for the No. 1 spot, making only eight Championship appearances but leaving a strong impression. His composure, reflexes, and maturity beyond his years have made him one of the EFL’s most promising young goalkeepers.
At Rangers, Jack Butland remains the first-choice keeper, but at 32 years old, the Englishman is nearing the twilight of his career. Rohl, who worked closely with Charles during his time at Wednesday, could see him as a long-term successor. Financially, the move would make sense too, given Wednesday’s well-documented financial struggles — any reasonable bid from Rangers could tempt the South Yorkshire club into selling.
From Bayern Munich to Hillsborough to Ibrox
Before making his name at Sheffield Wednesday, Danny Rohl’s résumé was already impressive. The German coach served in high-profile roles at RB Leipzig, Southampton, and Bayern Munich, where he worked under Hansi Flick before following him to the German national team as assistant manager.
His first managerial role came in October 2023, when he took over a struggling Sheffield Wednesday side rooted to the bottom of the Championship table under Xisco Muñoz. Against all odds, Rohl engineered a remarkable turnaround, securing survival with a late-season surge that saw the Owls collect 14 points from their final six games.
In the following campaign, despite financial instability and a limited squad, he guided Wednesday to a 12th-place finish — a result that earned him immense respect among supporters. However, worsening off-field issues under owner Dejphon Chansiri led to his departure by mutual consent this past summer.
A Respectful Distance
Although some fans hope to see a familiar face or two follow Rohl north of the border, most analysts agree that he is unlikely to raid his old club, both out of respect for Wednesday’s situation and due to the lack of suitable targets.
Rohl remains a beloved figure in Sheffield — remembered for his energy on the touchline, his tactical acumen, and his role in saving the club from relegation. Now, as he embarks on what could be the toughest challenge of his career, even his former supporters will be rooting for him to succeed at Ibrox.
Rangers fans, meanwhile, will hope that the young German can bring the same intensity, structure, and belief that transformed Wednesday — and restore a sense of pride and purpose to a club that desperately needs it.