Rangers ‘reach agreement’, Celtic deal ‘intensifies’, Hearts exit nears - Scottish transfer news

16-cap Scotland man seals ‘special’ move

Scotland international Oli McBurnie has cut his time with Spanish outfit Las Palmas short after being lured back to the British shores by EFL Championship outfit Hull City. The striker has signed a three-year contract, with the option of a further year, after the Tigers activated a clause that allowed him to leave the Gran Canaria club on a free transfer following their relegation from La Liga last season.

Capped 16 times by Scotland, McBurnie was reported on the radar of former club Sheffield United, but opted to move to the MKM Stadium instead. “I’m buzzing,” said McBurnie. “It’s been a long time coming. Everyone has worked hard to get to this point. Thank you to Jared (Dublin), the owner and the manager, for getting it done. Jared spoke to me at the end of last season. I was in Spain last year, and from the start, I said to Jared that for me to come back to England, it had to be something special. I needed to come back for something that excites me, and at the same time, is right for me and my family.”

Dundee sent recruitment warning

Dundee head coach Steven Pressley had warned the club that they must avoid a repeat of this summer's "scramble" to add players to the squad. The Dens Park boss has lost key men Josh Mulligan and Lyle Cameron over the summer, with the pair joining Hibs and Rangers respectively, alongside another eight first-team players, forcing Pressley to overhaul the squad.

"This can't happen again for us as a club," said Pressley. "Moving forward, we have to have a better process around this. We don't want to be in a position where every season we are scrambling trying to find players. We have got to be in a position where there is much more stability around the squad. It is difficult to create that, but we are trying. We have given out several two-to-three-year deals. I know everybody wants success now, but this is a big, big job and a real challenge, and we have to get this part right."

Staying with Dundee, the club have opened talks with defender Luke Graham over a contract extension. The 21-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2027, and reports claim they will move to secure his future this summer.

Hearts exit agreed

Hearts youngster Adam Forrester is set to complete a season-long loan move to St Johnstone, with head coach Derek McInnes willing to allow the full-back to leave the club temporarily this summer. The Saints are hoping to confirm the signing of the 20-year-old Tynecastle starlet before Friday night's league trip to Ross County, with the Edinburgh Evening News revealing a deal had been ‘verbally agreed.’

Forrester enjoyed a breakout season in Gorgie last season, making 25 league appearances for the club, though the signing of Norwegian right-back Christian Borchgrevink means he is unlikely to get the regular first-team football he desires this coming season. Meanwhile, Hearts have confirmed that Alfie and Stanley Wilson have signed their first professional contracts with the club, with the pair joining brother James in moving into the full-time environment at Riccarton.

Rangers ‘reach agreement’

Rangers defender Ridvan Yilmaz is closing in on an exit from the club, after reports claimed Besiktas were leading the race for the left-back’s signature. The Turkish defender has been linked with a departure from Ibrox throughout the summer, and has subsequently not been involved in any of Russell Martin’s matchday squads so far this season. Despite being out of favour at Rangers, a number of clubs on the continent are interested in a deal for the defender, who is almost certain to depart before the window shuts. One report even claimed the club had ‘reached a full agreement’ with Besiktas over a deal for the player, though that is believed to be premature.

His time in Glasgow largely disrupted by injury, former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson believes the deal to bring him to the club was a ‘mistake’. Speaking to IbroxNews, Ferguson said: “He’s never been one of my favourites. There were others in Scottish football at the time who could have done as good a job. He was touted with a move to Turkey within six months of arriving here. I don’t know him personally, but he’s another that needs moving on at what will be a loss.”

Elsewhere, the club are reported to have held talks with Real Betis centre-half Nobel Mendy in the last 48 hours, and is hoping to fend off interest from Rayo Vallecano and Club Brugge to sign the 20-year-old, who is believed to be available for around £3.5million.

Celtic deal ‘intensifies’

Celtic are ready to rival English Premier League side Sunderland in the race to sign talented young winger Clement Bischoff, according to reports. The Danish youth international has caught the attention of a number of clubs this summer, and is valued at around £6.2million. The 19-year-old Brondby starlet enjoyed a breakthrough season in the Superliga last season, playing 29 times for the popular Danish outfit as they clinched a third-place finish, and Celtic are believed to view him as a potential option in the search for a winger this summer.

The sale of Nicolas Kuhn to FC Como last month, coupled with Jota’s ACL injury, has left head coach Brendan Rodgers desperate for reinforcements in his attacking arsenal, but he has been frustrated in his pursuit of both Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Jakob Breum. Bischoff is also reported to be interesting Crystal Palace this summer, with Sunderland also strongly linked throughout the window.

Elsewhere, former Celtic youngster Josh Adam has completed a move to Czech second-tier outfit SK Dynamo České Budějovice. The Scotland under-21 international began his career with the Hoops as a teenager, before being poached by Manchester City in 2020. He won two Under-18 Premier League titles and two Premier League 2 titles with the Cityzens, but was released from his contract last summer, linking up with Wrexham shortly afterwards, but he made just two appearances in the EFL Trophy.

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