The benefits of one season worth of Malik Tillman were shown on the park and will now appear on the balance sheet. The true impact of his value to Rangers could be played out for some time to come.
Tillman’s contribution of 12 goals and five assists from his 43 appearances tell the story of his campaign, yet his influence on a side that ultimately under-achieved was more profound. As the dark clouds gathered time after time, Tillman was so often the silver lining for Rangers.
It was evident early in his Ibrox career that he had all the technical ability to thrive at a higher echelon than the Premiership and his burgeoning reputation was enhanced on a weekly basis. Come the closing stages of his loan spell, Rangers had to acknowledge the reality and accept that Tillman would be a one and done deal.
It should come as no surprise that Tillman will not return to Glasgow when Michael Beale’s side gather for the start of pre-season training next week. There are, however, positives to be taken from the situation.
Rangers will not reap the rewards of Tillman’s influence in the title race but they will still cash in on a talent that they would have had to make a significant outlay for in order to make him part of Beale’s squad this term.
And the structure and success of the move overall could well pave the way for future deals to be done for some of the rising stars of the English or European game. It remains to be seen if others follow Tillman's example in more ways than one.
Rangers agreed a fixed fee of £5.8million with Bayern Munich when Tillman embarked on his first loan move last summer. As part of the deal, the Bundesliga giants would have had a buy-back option at around the £9million mark.
Rangers would not have lost money on Tillman. Given the scale of the rebuilding work that Beale is undertaking, though, the case for invoking their clause fell down at the financial hurdle.
As it has transpired, the decision has been made for them. A compensation payment of £1million has allowed Bayern to cancel the initial purchase agreement and Rangers will also receive 10 per cent of any future fee that the Germans recoup for a prodigious talent.
Beale made no secret of his desire to retain Tillman for the new campaign but the move didn’t make sense for the 21-year-old. With just one full season of first team football to his name, he has already outgrown the opportunities that Rangers can offer him week in week out.
The prospect of Champions League football was never going to be a big enough selling point for Tillman. From Bayern’s perspective, they need him to be playing at a higher level to either allow him to prove he is worth a place in Thomas Tuchel’s plans or to convince prospective purchasers that the playmaker can operate against the best sides in one of Europe’s top leagues.
Rangers just couldn’t tick those boxes. Going forward, they are unlikely to be able to fulfil the ambitions of players in similar circumstances, even if Glasgow provides a unique platform for up-and-coming stars of the future to learn their trade.
Doing those kinds of deals are inherently risky. A kid could arrive at Ibrox with all the natural talent in the world, but if they are unable to handle the demands of having to win each week and play for an expectant crowd in a challenging league then they will sink rather than swim.
Tillman stands out as the exception rather than the rule. That doesn’t mean that Rangers should be put off transfers such as this completely, though, and the success of the American internationalist could tempt other players to give Old Firm life a go, albeit in the knowledge that it will probably be a single-season affair no matter how they perform.
Supporters can often be wary about Rangers effectively being used to hone the skills of a player from another club and there are questions about how mentally invested loan acquisitions can be. It is a reality of their place in the football food chain, though, and there is merit in Beale using the market to supplement his squad and sign players that Rangers would not normally be able to afford.
Clubs could now view Rangers as a place where players can enhance their reputations and grow on and off the pitch. For the talents themselves, it is an environment that can bring out the best in them and Tillman spoke about how he benefited physically and mentally from his term in blue.
Beale won’t want to overdo it and add too many players to his squad that are not signed up for the long haul. A loan here or there could be advantageous, though. Especially if they are as good as Tillman.
Rangers have benefitted from Tillman twice already and they will do so again when he leaves Bayern and another seven-figure sum is banked. It has been a deal that has certainly paid off.
The longer legacy of it has still to be seen, though. Time will tell if Tillman is a one hit wonder in all regards or if his success changes at attitudes at Ibrox and further afield and allows another loan Ranger to make a name for themselves.
