Rangers bid 'rejected', Celtic urged to sign striker, Scotland cap ‘poised for exit’ - Scottish transfer news

Scotland cap ‘poised for exit’

Scotland international Calvin Ramsay could be on the verge of ending his three-season stay at Liverpool, with the Anfield club reportedly ‘working hard’ to find him a deal north of the border. According to a report from SportsBoom, the 22-year-old wants to return to Scotland and get his career back on track, having failed to make a single league appearance for the Merseyside club since his transfer from Aberdeen in the summer of 2022.

Ramsay had spent the last three seasons taking in various loans and made eight appearances in the Scottish Premiership on loan to Kilmarnock last season. However, the report states that the Rugby Park club ‘rejected’ the chance to sign the player on a permanent basis this summer. Capped once by the Scotland national team, the full-back is now eyeing a return to the top flight, with Liverpool happy to allow him to move on.

Aberdeen confirm signing of youth international

Aberdeen have confirmed the signing of young Sweden youth international Kenan Bilalović on a long-term contract, the club have announced. The 20-year-old winger moves to Pittodrie on a five-year deal from Värnamo, with reports claiming the club has paid around £500,000 for his services. Bilalovic has represented Sweden at both the under-18 and under-19 levels, and was a regular for his club side last season, playing 17 league games and scoring once.

“It feels good to be here,” said I’m really excited to meet the players. I met the manager and the coaches at the training ground, and I’ve been given a great first impression by everyone. It was an easy decision to come to Aberdeen. The manager is a really good coach; he knows what he wants to do and how he wants to achieve it. It’s an opportunity for me to show my skills and continue my development. The tempo will suit me well. I know it will be physical and fast here in Scotland, but I am at my peak fitness level, so I am ready for it. I know the atmosphere is good at the stadium, it gives you adrenaline on the pitch, so I am looking forward to playing in front of the fans.”

Rangers exit ‘verbally agreed’

Rangers left-back Jefte is set to depart the club after reaching a ‘verbal agreement’ with Palmeiras over a return to his homeland of Brazil. The young defender joined the Gers last summer, agreeing a four-year deal with the club and featured regularly in his debut campaign at Ibrox, playing 50 times in all competitions during the 24/25 campaign. According to reports in Brazil, the 21-year-old has already agreed personal terms with Verdão, and he and his representatives will have now arranged to meet club officials in London next week to seal his exit from Rangers. Palmeiras is said to be ready to pay around £5million to secure the deal.

Meanwhile, former Rangers striking target Matija Frigan is ‘close’ to making a move to Serie A club Parma, after the Italian giants agreed a fee of for fee ‘under €10million’ Westerlo. The 22-year-old Croatian was linked with a move to Govan earlier in the window, and had also been linked to Hull City.

Celtic backed to move for 145-goal striker

Celtic have been urged to make a move for veteran striker Jamie Vardy this summer, with head coach Brendan Rodgers told he should reunite with his former Leicester City talisman in the Scottish Premiership this season. Currently a free agent after his summer departure from the Foxes, Vardy bagged 145 goals in the English Premier League for Leicester, and the 38-year-old now has interest from across Europe as he weighs up his next move. However, former Leeds United and England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn believes a switch to Celtic Park makes perfect sense for all parties.

“If you can find a former manager who enjoys working with you, like Brendan Rodgers in this case, then there's nothing better for a player,” Martyn told Parimatch. “It helps you feel secure. You’re able to have honest conversations around how much match time you’ll be actually getting and that type of thing.

“I have no doubt that Jamie Vardy will be a threat to anyone up in Scotland if he joins Celtic. He can start games one week and play up to 60 minutes, and the next week, he could come off the bench and make an impact. As a centre-half, the last thing you want to see after playing 70 minutes is somebody like Jamie Vardy and his pace coming on to the pitch.”

‘Significant’ Rangers bid rejected

Rangers have had a ‘significant’ offer for talented Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles rejected by the Owls, according to a report from the Independent. The 20-year-old goalkeeper has interest in his services, with head coach Russell Martin ready to rival English Premier League outfit West Ham United for his signature this summer. The eight-cap Northern Ireland international has enjoyed an impressive rise for both club and country over the past 12 months, though the EFL Championship club’s well-documented financial issues put his future in doubt at Hillsborough.

However, despite chairman Dejphon Chansiri’s clear need to move players on this summer, he has so far rejected offers for the young stopper, with the decision causing ‘confusion’ among the player’s camp and other key figures at the club.

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