Albertz describes a clause that could ease the transfer of Tillman Rangers

The Hammer, who patrolled Rangers’ midfield in the second half of the 1990s, has welcomed the news from Michael Beale that his former club have started talks with Bayern Munich over a permanent deal for the America international.

And he believes the clubs can band together to create a mutually beneficial plan, even if the eternal Bundesliga champions don’t want to completely sever ties with Tillman this summer.

Albertz suspects that the new Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel would only do his job if he interfered in ongoing discussions.

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CONTINUE READING: Lundstram slams the critics of Tillman’s Rangers

One look at Tillman’s current form – six goals in six games – and the limitless potential he possesses might make Tuchel less keen on brushing him off.

Rangers have an exclusive purchase agreement for a reported fee of £6million, however

Bayern are understood to have a buyback clause as part of an agreement that will make the Glasgow move permanent.

Albertz, a huge Rangers fan favorite for five seasons after signing from Hamburg in 1996, said: “There are a lot of things you can do to make it work.

“I would love for Tillman to join Ibrox permanently and Munich might have an option to get him back.

“We’re talking about a 20-year-old. He can develop, improve with Rangers, he can play in Europe.

“Munich can keep an eye on him and then, if they want, use the option to get him back.

“He has done a really good job for Rangers and as a young boy my club see him as a great talent for the future. I’m not surprised they’re trying to buy him. It will hopefully be a great signing for the club.

“I don’t know whether Munich is ready for that. You might be pleased to see Rangers’ interest considering how many Superstars they already have.

“But they have a new manager who wants to see the boy to decide for himself.

“These are talks that have to be held in Munich if there is an offer from Rangers. Tuchel has just played his first game against Dortmund.

“As a manager, I wouldn’t just accept it like that before I saw the boy.

He wouldn’t do his homework by letting Malik go instead of taking a look, finding out if he’s a boy he wants in the future and talking to him.

“So it could be an awkward situation at the moment. But maybe Malik wants to go to the Rangers, and he says so.

Ibrox hero Jörg Albertz

“Then maybe Bayern don’t want a player in the squad who doesn’t want to be there.”

Philipp Lahm, Toni Kroos and David Alaba are among those who have developed through the ranks of Bayern II, benefited from a loan and then became world superstars via the first team in Munich.

However, each of their loans have gone to other German clubs so Rangers getting creative with this deal and bringing a Bayern ace to Scotland is new territory.

Albertz, who also played for Fortuna Dusseldorf and Borussia Monchengladbach, believes he has already played 39 times this season, which has made Tillman a ton.

Further improvement in at least one more season under the unique pressures of Old Firm football could see Tillman worth a fortune for years to come.

“I think the move to Rangers has been absolutely fantastic for him already,” said Albertz. “Now I think a permanent move would be ideal for the boy.

“The last thing he should do after trying a year at Rangers and playing so much is to return to the sidelines.

“If they don’t accept the deal and he goes back to Munich, it might be sad for the boy if he doesn’t get a lot of football. I think it’s important to take care of what’s best for him.

“Joining Rangers and already playing so much is exactly the development he needs at his age.

CONTINUE READING: Barisic on his Rangers future as the defender nears the end of the deal

“The numbers that are flying around in football now are unbelievable. I’d say for a 20-year-old who can do a lot better going forward, hopefully £5-6m is a good investment for Rangers.

“If you get a player that age, what is he worth if he continues to perform well and score goals in three years? Twice, three or four times as much?

“From that point of view, it’s probably not a big risk that Rangers are taking here.”

After his double against Dundee United, Tillman has 12 goals to his name this season.

He has routinely made the difference in the final third for Rangers but has been criticized for taking his foot off the accelerator at times.

That sluggish approach leaves him open to the charge of not providing the work rate needed for several Tests Rangers face, including this Saturday’s trip to Celtic Park.

Albertz believes Tillman has the tools to expand on all those natural, obvious skills as he matures into an all-season Rangers player.

Albertz said, “Okay, he probably hasn’t been that consistent all season. But that’s understandable. It may be because of his age. Maybe a year from now we’ll be talking about how sharp he looks all the time.

“If he brings success to Rangers, that’s the most important thing. If he only gets three runs and scores three goals in the game, then good if we win 3-0!

“Right now he’s on fire, he’s got confidence, he’s an outstanding player. But he also needs to grow up and get that consistency.

“That’s what you get when you play a lot of games and hopefully he has all that ahead of him at Rangers.”