Bayern Munich cancel £5m Malik Tillman to Rangers agreement - but Ibrox side bank noteworthy transfer windfall

Malik Tillman will NOT be joining Rangers on a permanent basis next season after parent club Bayern Munich backtracked on their agreement with the Ibrox side.

The US international, who made a significant impression during his season-long loan spell last term, scored 12 goals in 43 appearances for Michael Beale’s side after initially arriving in Govan under previous boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s reign.

Rangers retained an option-to-buy clause for a fee of £5million as part of the loan deal agreed with the German giants and Beale expressed his desire to keep the 21-year-old earlier this year, but Tillman won’t be returning to Glasgow after the Bundesliga champions pulled out of the deal in the hope they can land a bigger transfer fee elsewhere.

However, the Light Blues will benefit from Bayern’s decision by receiving a cancellation windfall of £1million that is expected to be added to Beale’s transfer budget as the Englishman continues to build his squad ahead of the new season. They will also be entitled to a 10 per cent cut of the sell-on fee when Tillman agrees his next move.

Tillman was open to remaining at Rangers at the end of the season after his temporary stint was cut short due to injury and forced him to return to Germany with a fortnight of the campaign remaining for treatment. He explained at the time: “I’ve spoke to Michael Beale already and he said, ‘Just take your time. It’s your decision.’ That’s what I’m going to do because obviously it’s a big decision for me.”

“It is still open. I am going to talk to Michael in the coming days and see what he is saying and what the club is saying. Then I am going to speak to Bayern again and see what their plan is for me. And them I am going to decide.”

However, that decision has now been taken out of Tillman’s hands with Bayern exploring other options for the attacking midfielder amid interest from English Premier League duo Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion and other German sides.

Rangers have signed four new players so far this summer, with Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland and Sam Lammers joining the club. Deals for Los Angeles midfielder Jose Cifuentes and Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers are also progressing.