Celtic eye Guadeloupe ace, star coy on exit, Hearts man in demand, Aberdeen deal - Scottish transfers

The summer window officially opens a week on Monday and there are plenty of stories doing the rounds in Scottish football.

We pick out the best of them:

Celtic linked with forward

Celtic are reportedly interested in Rodez forward Tairyk Arconte, who was one of the star players in France’s Ligue 2 this year.

Arconte, 22, scored 14 goals and provided three assists as Rodez made the promotion play-offs before losing on penalties to Saint-Etienne. And now the club is set to cash in on one of its assets, with Celtic said to be a number of teams monitoring his situation.

It is being claimed that English Championship side Millwall and French Ligue 1 side are also interested in the Guadeloupe internationalist, who started his career at Ajaccio and joined Rodez last summer from Pau.

Nygren coy on future

Sticking with Celtic. midfielder Benjamin Nygren is expected to be in demand when his World Cup campaign with Sweden comes to an end. And in an interview with his home media, when asked about his long-term future, he replied: "We’ll see what happens."

Nygren was speaking after Sweden’s 2-2 draw with Greece in Solna. The in-form midfielder - who joined Celtic last summer from Nordsjaelland - picked up a knock, but is expected to be fine for the World Cup.

"I passed, then he came in and tackled me so I twisted my ankle,” Nygren said. "It hurt right then and there. We were going to change anyway, so we took it safe before it was too late. I've sprained my foot before, so I can still feel the difference. I can walk, move, and stand on one leg. It felt completely okay. It’s part of the sport. You give some, and you get some; that’s it."

Hearts exit likely

Islam Chesnokov appears set to leave Hearts this summer - with two clubs in his homeland of Kazakhstan keen to sign him.

Chesnokov joined Hearts in January, but has only made 11 appearances for the club and has struggled to break into the first team. And it is understood that Tynecastle officials would not stand in the winger’s way if a suitable bid comes in.

The Kazakh’s former club FC Tobol and current Premier League leaders Ordabasy Shymkent are preparing six-figure offers for the player.

Stewart’s big decision

Scotland striker Ross Stewart is mulling over a new contract at Southampton, according to reports. The 29-year-old headed to the World Cup earlier this month, but has yet to decide where his long-term future lies. His current deal with Saints is about to expire and the club have made efforts to keep him in the wake of the ‘Spygate’ scandal that cost them their place in the Championship play-off final.

Southampton chairman Dragan Solak said: “We had to initiate the [one year] option up to five days after the last game of the season and we were out of the five days when our final got cancelled. When we knew there was no last game, we immediately sent the notice of the extension, but his lawyers say that they're disagreeing with us.

“Ultimately, it's on Ross and his team to basically decide whether they want to stay or not. In my opinion, nobody would be better for Ross than us. We worked hard to allow him physically to show how good he is. He went from a guy who didn't play for two years to be invited to the World Cup team. I'm really proud of that. If he wants to try his luck somewhere else, I can't stop him, but I would love to have him back. We have made an effort to keep him.”

Robertson to remain a Dee

Dundee midfielder Finlay Robertson has agreed a two-year contract extension with the club.

The Dens Park youth academy graduate’s current deal was due to expire this summer, but he has signed up for a further two campaigns under current head coach Steven Pressley.

“I am very happy to have extended my contract with my boyhood club. I think every player dreams about that,” said Robertson. “Last season, playing in midfield more consistently, allowed me to perform at a better level and I’ve really enjoyed working with Steven and the coaching staff. They put so much work in behind the scenes to make us successful and I think the fans have seen the progress we’ve made as a team.”

Happe joins Aberdeen

Dan Happe will join Aberdeen on a two-year deal, the Scottish Premiership club have announced. The 27-year-old defender has made over 250 appearances for Leyton Orient, where he won the National League title in 2019 and League Two in 2023.

Happe will arrive at Pittodrie in the summer when his contract with Orient ends and his deal includes an option for a third year.

He told the Aberdeen website: “Having spent my entire career at one club it was a big decision to move on, but I just felt it was the right time to try something new and this was an opportunity I could not turn down. I know last season was not what anyone at Aberdeen would have wanted, it was disappointing, but I am confident better times lie ahead with the squad the manager is building.

“I want to help the team get back into Europe and help the team win trophies.”

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