Rangers hopeful of agreeing permanent Thelo Aasgaard deal after Anderlecht latest

Rangers are hopeful that Anderlecht will trigger their option to buy Thelo Aasgaard next summer, sources have told Football Insider.

The 24-year-old joined the Belgian giants on loan for the season in the late stages of the summer transfer window, as he was unlikely to play a role in Derek McInnes' starting XI.

After a difficult first season at Ibrox since his big-money move from Luton, there is now optimism that Rangers could make a decent return from his sale if the move is made permanent.

As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, Rangers are keeping a close eye on Aasgaard's situation and hope they will trigger his clause.

However, it has been a slow start to life in the Belgian Pro League for the midfielder, who has started just one game so far and struggled to make an impact in the 2-1 defeat to Lyon.

The decision about whether Aasgaard makes a permanent move away from Rangers will ultimately rest with Anderlecht, but there is a desire at Ibrox for a deal to be done.

Will Thelo Aasgaard leave Rangers permanently?

Football Insider revealed in July that it would take a "big offer" for Rangers to let Aasgaard leave permanently, as they hope to raise funds from his departure.

The Ibrox club signed the midfielder from Luton for a fee of £3.5million in 2025, and just one year on, his permanent move to Anderlecht would see them make a profit.

However, there is uncertainty about whether or not the deal will be made permanent as things stand, and Rangers are hopeful that will become more clear later this season.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Yeah, I'm sure that'll be Rangers thinking, they are hopeful that the move will be made permanent next summer.

"Obviously, they've allowed him to go to Anderlecht on loan with an option to buy, so that shows Rangers' stance on the situation.

"They are open to his exit on a permanent basis if Anderlecht are willing to meet their asking price. I believe there's a £4million option to buy in that loan deal.

"So if Anderlecht are willing to pay that, the deal will get done, and Rangers hope to have more clarity on that as the season goes on."

How did Derek McInnes feel about selling Aasgaard?

Aasgaard was ultimately allowed to leave Rangers late in the transfer window despite having made five appearances under McInnes at the start of the season.

The Glasgow outfit were initially reluctant to let players leave, as Football Insider revealed McInnes planned to block Aasgaard's exit as he aimed to maintain a strong squad.

The boss had been keen to assess all of his players in pre-season and into the start of the new season befoer making any firm decisions about their long-term futures.

However, their circumstances changed later in the window after a number of incoming deals were agreed, including the arrivals of Vanja Dragojevic and Dan Neil in his position.

Aasgaard was allowed to leave on loan as a result, with a view towards a permanent exit, having been pushed down the pecking order in McInnes' plans.