This Rangers Star Wants To Leave The Club: Why Should Rohl Oblige?

“They do have an option to buy him, and it does seem that Cortes would be interested in that move if it is possible.

“He’s under contract at Ibrox until 2029, but is one of those players that probably doesn’t figure in the long-term plans of Danny Rohl.”

Cortes’ Ibrox timeline tells a painful story

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – JULY 06: Óscar Cortés of Rangers is seen during the pre-season friendly match between Rangers and Club Brugge at Ibrox Stadium on July 06, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Rangers first brought Oscar Cortes in on a loan-to-buy deal from Lens in 2023, and things actually started well. He scored on his debut and showed the kind of aggressive, direct play that made him a hot prospect in Europe. Rangers eventually made the move permanent, but the consistency they were looking for just never showed up in Scotland. He finished the 2023-24 season with modest numbers, three goals and two assists, leaving the coaching staff unsure if he could really cut it in the first team long-term.

Sending him to Sporting Gijon last summer was supposed to be a fresh start, but he only managed ten games in Spain before moving again. Argentina turned out to be the lifeline he needed. At Huracán, he’s playing in a league that values individual flair and one-on-one skill on the wings, an environment that suits him much better than the intense pressing of Scottish football or the rigid tactics of Spain’s second tier.

What Rangers’ decision tell us about Rohl’s vision?

The fact that Rangers are happy to let Cortes go says a lot about Danny Rohl’s plans for the squad. Rohl’s tactics are built on heavy pressing, quick transitions, and tactical discipline, and he clearly doesn’t see Cortes fitting into that system. Rangers have already spent money on new wingers who better match what Rohl wants: players with a high tactical IQ who aren’t afraid to do the defensive dirty work.

Financially, a permanent sale is a no-brainer for Rangers. If Huracan take up their option, Rangers get a wage off the books and bring in a transfer fee; it might not be a massive sum, but every bit helps when you’re working with a tight budget.

Rangers have shown lately that they value a lean, efficient squad, and keeping a player on a long contract who is playing on the other side of the world doesn’t help anyone. Most fans won’t be too upset to see him go, realising that moving Cortes on doesn’t really hurt the team on the pitch, even if the initial move for him didn’t quite pan out.

Should Rangers have stuck with Cortes instead of loaning him out?

Sticking with him would have been a mistake. Rangers needed to see that Cortes could work within a fast, structured system, and his last two loans suggest he just isn’t that type of player. Sending him to Gijon and then Argentina wasn’t about giving up on him; it was about managing an asset for a club that can’t afford to have players sitting on the sidelines.

Danny Rohl needs wingers who press hard and follow a game plan. Cortes has always been more of an instinct player, which works in Argentina but doesn’t work for Rohl’s Rangers. Keeping him wouldn’t have helped the player, the manager, or the club’s bottom line. Rangers made the right call, and his success at Huracán only proves that he’s found his level elsewhere.