Alan Hutton has warned that Rangers could struggle to keep Olwethu Makhanya if the South African defender continues his excellent start at Ibrox. Hutton compared the situation with Jean-Alain Boumsong’s rapid move from Rangers to Newcastle, but there is no confirmed January bid or identified English suitor for Makhanya.
Makhanya joined Rangers from Philadelphia Union in July for a fee of about £3 million and signed a four-year contract. The 22-year-old was recruited as part of Derek McInnes’ defensive rebuild and has quickly become a regular in the starting XI.
Hutton’s concern is based on the transfer model Rangers themselves have promoted: recruit promising players, develop them and eventually sell them for profit. He said that if Makhanya maintains his current form until January, clubs will likely monitor him and may test Rangers with an offer.
“It’s a real concern that Makhanya is doing so well that somebody might come in and try to pinch him in January, similarly to what happened with Boumsong.”
Boumsong arrived at Rangers and left for Newcastle after roughly six months in Glasgow in a deal worth around £8 million. Hutton does not claim that Makhanya is already the subject of a bid; he is warning that the defender’s performances could create similar market interest.
Makhanya’s adaptation has been especially encouraging because he moved from MLS to Scottish football and immediately faced the demands of European and domestic competition. McInnes has praised his ability to deal with difficult situations and his rapid adjustment to the team.
Hutton also stressed that Makhanya does not need to leave quickly. He said the defender has time to develop, could remain at Rangers to compete for trophies and may benefit from continuing his progress in Glasgow. But he acknowledged that a sufficiently large offer could make a sale difficult for the club to resist.
The accurate position is therefore that Rangers face a potential retention challenge, not an active transfer battle. Makhanya is under a long-term contract, Rangers have not announced any intention to sell him, and no reliable source reviewed here names an English club preparing a January offer.
