Rangers boss Michael Beale has put the Malik Tillman ball into the Bayern Munich court as he confirms everyone at Ibrox wants to secure a permanent deal for the attacking midfielder.
Malik Tillman, 20, has had an impressive season for Rangers despite his tender years after the Ibrox club secured an option-to-buy loan deal from the Bundesliga champions in the summer.
The German-born attacking midfielder showed his class to smartly finish off Rangers’ second goal in the thumping 3-0 win at Tynecastle over Hearts.
Speaking after the game, Rangers boss Beale was clear that the club are eager to secure the future of the Bayern Munich loanee with Malik Tillman now improving by the game.
“Yeah, of course, we can [agree as deal for Malik Tillman],” said Michael Beale [Rangers].
“There’s a fee agreed. Everything is in place. You get the season out of the way then you sit down and talk to everybody and try and get it done.
“If it was on my decision and Rangers’ decision we would have him here for the long term. He’s a player that we like and a boy that’s settled in really well at our club. At 20 years old he’s got a really exciting future.
“[It’s] not so much [up to Malik]. I think it’s up to the two clubs.”
Rangers eye permanent Malik Tillman deal
The signing of Malik Tillman was perhaps an underrated coup for Rangers in the summer.
A fully-fledged USA international who made seven appearances for Bayern last season, Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson was praised for his creativity in securing a deal for one of European football’s top talents.
As Rangers toiled in the early part of the season under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, there were grumbles about the workrate of Tillman but even the staunchest member of the Ibrox crowd cannot deny the kid’s talent.
Already scoring seven goals and laying on five assists in his first full season as a professional footballer, Rangers are certainly privileged to have a player of Malik Tillman’s potential on the books.
Now, Rangers and Michael Beale are hoping to convince Bayern Munich and the player’s representatives that the young American’s future is best served in Glasgow.
But if the creative midfielder continues to deliver at the top end of the park, then we don’t expect he’ll be at Rangers long either way as the kid begins to find his feet and form at Ibrox.
According to some reports, the fee Rangers will have to pay for Malik Tillman is around £5m.
Meanwhile, the arrival of Nicolas Raskin already appears to have lit a fire under several stagnant Rangers stars.
