Celtic outcast earns major move, Rangers target confirmed, Ryan Porteous switch - transfer news

Celtic outcast earns major move

He failed to make a single appearance for Celtic, but South Korean midfielder Kwon Hyeok-kyu has earned himself a major move to one of Europe's top five leagues. The 24-year-old has sealed a permanent transfer to French Ligue 1 side Nantes for a knockdown fee of around £250,000, signing a three-year deal with Les Canaris. The 24-year-old arrived at Celtic two years ago from Busan IPark and spent most of his time out on loan, playing nine times for St Mirren before making 21 appearances on a season-long deal with Hibs. Meanwhile, left-back Adam Montgomery has also left the club to join newly-promoted Livingston on loan. The 22-year-old has made 20 first-team appearances for Celtic and previously been on loan with Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Fleetwood, Motherwell and Queen’s Park. The Scotland Under-21 international is contracted to Celtic until the summer of 2027.

Rangers target confirmed

Rangers head coach Russell Martin has declared himself a long-time admirer of potential transfer target Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Martin has confirmed his interest in the Crystal Palace winger following reports that Rangers had made an enquiry to take the 22-year-old on loan with a possible option to buy. Rak-Sakyi has played 10 first-team games for Palace and scored seven goals in 36 appearances for Sheffield United on loan last season. The England Under-21 international previously hit 15 goals during a season-long loan with Charlton.

When asked about the reports, Martin told Sky Sports News: “There’s a lot of players we’ll be linked with. Some wide of the mark, some very close and some spot-on. He’s a player I liked at Southampton, we tried to take him there and it didn’t quite happen. So, he’s a player I like and I think he’s a player the recruitment staff like. But, how far that’s gone, I’m not too sure.”

Ryan Porteous on the move

Ryan Porteous is set to become the latest Scot to try his luck in the MLS. The former Hibs defender is on his way out of Watford and is set to join the likes of Ryan Gauld, Lewis Morgan and Johnny Russell in the USA amid reports that a deal is in place for the 26-year-old centre-back to join LAFC. The fee is said to be in the region of £850,000, plus a 50 per cent sell-on clause for the Scotland international, who has two years left on his contract at Watford. Porteous has spent the past two-and-a-half years at Vicarage Road since departing Hibs in a £450,000 move back in January 2023. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Preston North End.

SPFL club hit with transfer embargo

Hamilton’s struggles have intensified after their transfer embargo was extended for the whole season. Accies will effectively only be able to sign teenagers or amateur players under Scottish Professional Football League rules. Hamilton were already operating under an automatic transfer embargo after failures in paying players and tax last season, which also cost them their place in the William Hill Championship. The SPFL has now confirmed that an independent disciplinary tribunal has imposed season-long restrictions.

The league announced that Hamilton had admitted three further SPFL rules at Thursday’s hearing, “by failing to settle its tax obligations to HMRC on three occasions, and for failing to notify the SPFL that it had been in default of its tax obligations to HMRC on each occasion”. The Lanarkshire club have been fined £7,500 – two thirds of which is suspended – and placed under a transfer embargo until next summer. Accies were battling to avoid a relegation when they were hit with a 15-point deduction in April which saw them cast adrift at the bottom of the Championship.

Buddies sign 'instant number one'

St Mirren have signed former Livingston goalkeeper Shamal George at the third attempt. George, 27, has joined on a season-long loan from Wycombe 12 months after leaving Livingston, where he made 80 appearances. Manager Stephen Robinson told St Mirren’s website: “Shamal is someone we’ve looked at for a number of years and unfortunately had been able to get him in the two attempts we made.

“Shamal comes with real experience of this league after his time at Livingston. We think he can be an instant number one at this level. We can get Peter Urminsky out on loan and we believe that will really develop him as he needs games. Shamal will have real competition from Ryan Mullen for that number one spot.”