Rangers Boss Danny Röhl Linked with Bayer Leverkusen Role

Rangers boss Danny Röhl has barely had time to settle into life in Glasgow, but his name is already echoing around boardrooms in Germany.

The 37-year-old is on Bayer Leverkusen’s shortlist for their next head coach, with German outlet Bild reporting that Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner sits at the top of the Bundesliga champions’ wish list and Girona’s Michel also firmly in the frame. Röhl is one of several being monitored, a nod to how quickly his stock has risen.

What this is not, though, is a crisis for Rangers. Sky Germany report that Röhl is under no threat of the sack at Ibrox and is unlikely to be tempted by Wolfsburg, whose relegation from the Bundesliga has stripped that job of much of its shine. Union Berlin and Leverkusen, by contrast, are viewed as more attractive options should the European interest in him harden into offers.

For now, he stays. But the fact Europe’s elite are circling around a Rangers manager again tells its own story.

McKenna shuts the door

In England, one of the most coveted young coaches has made his stance clear.

Kieran McKenna, who has just led Ipswich Town into the Premier League, is committed to staying at Portman Road. According to Football Insider, he will turn down any summer advances from Celtic, Crystal Palace or Fulham.

That closes off one of the more intriguing managerial subplots of the window. Clubs looking for a bright, progressive coach will have to search elsewhere. Ipswich, preparing for their first top-flight campaign in over two decades, keep their architect in place.

Celtic, Rangers and Fulham circle Ashia

Attention in Scotland is also turning to emerging talent.

Cameron Ashia has drawn a crowd. Celtic, Fulham and Rangers have all made initial enquiries for the winger, while Burnley, Cardiff City, Hoffenheim, Ipswich Town, Sheffield United and Stuttgart have also registered an interest, according to the Daily Mail.

He is just 21. He could be available for as little as £500,000. Huddersfield Town have taken up an option to extend his contract by a further year, but that figure gives this story its edge. In a market where fees for wide players routinely spiral, a six-figure price tag for a player with that level of interest is bound to sharpen focus.

If anyone blinks first, the race for Ashia could move quickly.

Maeda on Premier League radar

At Celtic, the outgoings column might soon be as busy as the incomings.

Daizen Maeda has emerged as a target for several Premier League clubs as he edges towards a summer move away from Glasgow, Football Insider report. The 28-year-old’s work-rate, versatility across the front line and experience in Europe make him an appealing option for English sides looking to add intensity to their attack.

Celtic face a familiar dilemma: cash in on a player entering his peak years, or hold on and gamble that his value and influence will remain high for another season.

Palma, Yamada and a shifting squad

The reshaping of the Celtic squad is already under way.

Lech Poznan have tabled a cut-price £2m offer for Luis Palma following the winger’s loan spell in Poland, according to The National. The 26-year-old has done enough to convince the Ekstraklasa club he is worth a permanent deal, but the fee underlines the reality of a market where Celtic must decide whether that figure reflects his value or merely his current situation.

Another forward, Shin Yamada, is heading back to Glasgow. The Herald report that the 25-year-old striker will return from his loan at Preussen Münster, with head coach Alois Schwartz planning a major overhaul after the German side’s relegation to the third tier.

Celtic now have decisions to make on both. Does Yamada get a genuine crack at the first team or another move to build minutes elsewhere? Does Palma’s future lie in Poland or back in a green-and-white shirt?

Across Glasgow and beyond, managers and sporting directors are already deep in those conversations. The names may change, the rumours will rise and fall, but one question hangs over it all: who will get their summer business right when the real games start again?