Rangers man ‘in talks’, Celtic deal moves closer, Hearts make loan decision - Scottish transfer news

Dundee United loan exit

Dundee United are set to allow Kai Fotheringham to leave the club this summer, with a move to St Johnstone reportedly edging closer to completion. The 22-year-old is set to travel to McDiarmid Park for a medical after the Scottish Championship table-toppers beat off competition from Ross County and Dunfermline Athletic for his signature , with The Courier claiming the Saints will pay an undisclosed fee for the Scotland under-21 international.

Fotheringham, who played 16 league games for the Tannadice outfit last season, is also expected to be joined by former Hearts and Dundee United full-back Liam Smith. Currently playing for Bohemians in the League Of Ireland, the 29-year-old will fill the gap left by loanee Adam Forrester after he was recalled by Jambos boss Derek McInnes earlier this month.

Hearts make loan decision

Hearts head coach Derek McInnes recalled goalkeeper Liam McFarlane from his loan spell at Alloa Athletic last week following injuries to Craig Gordon and Ryan Fulton and it is understood that the 20-year-old’s long-term future will depend on whether the Jambos sign a more experienced keeper before the end of the transfer window.

Named amongst the substitutes in Saturday’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Motherwell at the weekend, McFarlane signed a new three-year contract at Tynecastle last week. Having spent a year on loan with East Fife last season, the goalkeeper has impressed Alloa fans this season, with the club sitting top of the Scottish League One table, having conceded just one league goal in their opening three league games. McFarlane also produced a strong performance in a 4-2 Premier Sports Cup defeat to Rangers at Ibrox earlier this month, and has represented Scotland at numerous youth levels.

Alloa boss Andy Graham will now turn his focus to signing another goalkeeper for the season ahead to fill the gap after the unexpected blow of losing McFarlane, with the manager admitting he will take a “calm and measured” approach to finding his replacement.

Rangers man ‘in talks’

Rangers are ready to allow Nedim Bajrami to leave the club this summer, less than a year after paying a fee of around £3.5million to Sassuolo for the Albanian international. The 26-year-old signed a four-year contract at Ibrox upon his arrival, becoming ex-head coach Philippe Clement’s 11th signing of last summer, though he has failed to make his mark during an underwhelming first 12 months in Glasgow.

While the Albanian scored on his only start this season, in a 4-2 Premier Sports Cup win over Alloa Athletic, he has been left out of the matchday squad by Russell Martin in their last two league games and now looks ready to move on. According to reports in the player’s homeland, Bajrami is ‘expected’ to depart Ibrox before the window shuts, with his agent in talks with several clubs over a transfer. A return to Italy has not been ruled out. Bajrami looks likely to be the fourth Ibrox departure of the week, with the club having already confirmed the exits of Ridvan Yilmaz, Jefte, and Ben Davies.

Celtic deal move ‘one step closer’

Celtic’s pursuit of Royal Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha looks to have finally reached a conclusion after numerous reports over the weekend claimed the winger was closing in on a £5million move to Parkhead. The Belgian, who is in the final year of his contract at the Bosuil Stadion, has been a target for head coach Brendan Rodgers since January, with the Celtic boss keen to strengthen his wide positions this summer following Jota’s ACL injury and Nicolas Kuhn’s move to FC Como.

It is understood that Celtic representatives flew to Belgium on Friday to discuss personal terms with the player, having agreed a fee with the Belgian Pro League outfit. Rumours of a move over the weekend were amplified when the 24-year-old was not included in the matchday squad against Mechelen at the weekend, and seemingly confirmed when the player was later spotted at the end of the game, appearing to wave goodbye to the club’s fans.

A report from Sky Sports on Friday also claimed Celtic had ‘reopened’ talks with Go Ahead Eagles over a move for key attacking target Jakob Breum despite having three bids already rejected this summer, though there has been no further progress reported over the weekend.

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