Rangers 'make decision' on key man, Celtic enter talks for 23 y/o, 74-goal Scottish ace in major move - Scottish transfers

74-goal Scottish ace in major move

Ex-Rangers striker Ryan Hardie has become the first summer signing for newly promoted outfit Wrexham, sealing a £700,000 transfer to the STōK Racecourse on Monday evening. The 28-year-old hitman has spent the last five seasons with Plymouth Argyle, scoring 74 goals in 248 appearances for the Pilgrims. The Welsh side have won three successive promotions following their Hollywood takeover from acting duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds in February 2021, and will now play in the English second tier for the first time since the 1981/82 season.

On the signing, Hardie said: “I’m delighted to get the move done, I’m really happy to get it done so early and I cannot wait to get going. To get a full pre-season will be a massive benefit, to get integrated into the squad and learn the way the manager plays and get to know everyone will be important.” The Red Dragons were also linked with a move for out-of-contract Sheffield Wednesday duo Stuart Armstrong and Barry Bannan yesterday, as they club look to add EFL Championship experience to their starting XI.

Celtic enter talks for 23 y/o

Celtic are set to add to their contingent of Japanese stars after they opened talks with J-League 1 club Albirex Niigata over defender Hayato Inamura. The 23-year-old centre-back looks set to follow in the footsteps of Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, by making the move to Glasgow as he looks to progress his career in Europa.

The 23-year-old has actually had a similar career trajectory to that of star midfielder Hatate, having transitioned from Japan’s university system into professional football later than typical European players, and is described as a versatile left-sided centre-back that is also capable of playing at left-back. A regular starter for his side this season, the 6ft defender has featured 13 times in the Japanese top tier. While he is yet to be capped by the national team, the centre-back is viewed as one of the league’s most promising young talents.

12-cap Scotland man in surprise Stateside link

Scotland international Ryan Porteous is being tipped for a surprise summer transfer to America after emerging a shock target for teams in the Major Soccer League (MLS). According to reports, the Scottish centre-back is unwanted at EFL Championship side Watford this summer after falling out of favour at Vicarage Road and is available for transfer having spent the latter part of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Preston North End.

Linked with a return to Hibs last week, Porteous was left out of Steve Clarke’s recent squad for the games against Iceland and Liechtenstein and has a desire to play regular first team football next season in order to regain his spot in the squad. The former Easter Road favourite is thought to have interest from unnamed clubs in the English second tier, though a move to the MLS could appeal following the success of international teammates Lewis Morgan and Ryan Gauld across the pond.

Robertson ‘offered’ to Spanish giants

Scotland captain Andy Robertson appears to be on his way out of Liverpool, with the Anfield club on the verge of confirming the arrival of Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez. The 31-year-old left-back has been strongly linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, after transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed the La Liga outfit had made him their ‘top target’ this summer. With his first team spot under threat following the impending arrival of Kerkez, it has been reported that Robertson is looking to depart Merseyside in search of regular game time.

Robertson’s agent is also said to have sounded out Spanish giants - and Atleti’s city rivals - Real Madrid earlier in the window, with a new report saying the club were offered the Scotland captain, but rejected the opportunity to make an approach to Liverpool for the player. While Los Colchoneros appear to be the most likely destination, it is claimed they are only interested in paying ‘paying a small fee’ for Robertson, with Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne viewed as an alternative signing.

Rangers ‘make decision’ on key man

Rangers head coach Russell Martin is ready to put his faith in Jack Butland as his number one goalkeeper next season, after reports claimed the new boss is ready to hand him a chance to prove his worth in pre-season. The 32-year-old Englishman endured a difficult campaign at Ibrox last year, and fell out of favour under interim boss Barry Ferguson towards the end of the campaign, with Liam Kelly preferred in the Rangers net.

The recent takeover from Andrew Cavenagh-led consortium has left many Rangers players in the dark over their future, with Butland at the top of that list following his troubled campaign. However, journalist Pete O’Rouke now claims the a replacement goalkeeper is ‘not currently on the agenda’ at Ibrox, with Martin said to be happy to offer the ex-Crystal Palace stopper a chance to regain his spot as the club’s undisputed number one.

“Rangers, ideally, would like to keep Jack Butland,” claims O’Rourke. “He’ll be looking to become a key man in the side under Russell Martin as well. He’s under contract until 2027 so there’s no immediate pressure or need to sell. Rangers fans and Russell Martin will be hoping Butland can find the form again which made him such a huge figure in the team when he first arrived. It’s a big summer ahead of Butland, and he’ll be doing everything he can to impress the manager.”

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