What Bjørnebye’s Aarhus work suggests for Rangers

The bit that stands out with Stig Inge Bjørnebye is how clear the pattern is. At Aarhus he worked the Scandinavian markets hard, leaned into loans and low fees, and kept the age bracket sensible, mostly 18 to 26. That’s the kind of model Rangers have talked about for years, but it only works if you’re disciplined and actually back it.

A proper identity in the market

From the outside, Aarhus looked like a club buying with intent rather than just filling gaps. The mention of a highest fee of €2m tells you plenty: it’s not about throwing money around, it’s about being right more often than you’re wrong. You can live with the odd miss if the overall plan keeps producing players with resale value.

He also seems to have leaned heavily on what he knows. Denmark and Norway are his comfort zone and, to be fair, that’s not a bad place to shop if you’ve got eyes and contacts. Rangers have historically done well when recruitment isn’t scattergun.

Sales matter as much as signings

The other side of it is selling. The claim of nearly €26m brought in over four years is exactly the type of figure that makes a football operation sustainable. Rangers can’t afford to be a club that only buys and hopes. We need to buy, improve, then sell at the right time.

The examples given paint that picture. Yann Bisseck coming in on loan, then a €1.7m permanent deal, then going out for €7.2m is the sort of ladder clubs like ours should be climbing. The same theme runs through youth being promoted, then moved on for proper fees, rather than letting assets drift.

Youth pathway with real outcomes

Promoting lads and actually trusting them is easier said than done, but it’s massive if you get it right. Names like Thomas Kristensen and Adam Daghim being brought through and then sold for decent money suggests a pathway that’s more than just lip service.

For Rangers, that’s the dream combo: your academy produces value, your scouting tops it up, and the first team benefits. Not every supporter will have the patience for it, but if the club wants to compete and stay healthy financially, it’s hard to argue with the logic.

If Bjørnebye brings even a chunk of that approach to Ibrox, it could finally feel like there’s a joined-up plan, rather than another summer of rolling the dice.

One concern Rangers can’t ignore

The Scandinavian market can be brilliant value, but it’s not a magic wand. The real test at Rangers is whether that recruitment approach translates when the pressure is constant, the expectation is to win every week, and players need to handle European nights as well as domestic football. The principle is sound, the execution is everything.

Written by SirWalterMcCoist: 18 December 2025