Celtic linked to double deal, Rangers eye international, Motherwell to bag record fee - Scottish transfer news

In your Monday morning transfer bulletin, we’ve got the latest news from Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell and beyond as we keep you up to date with all the latest completed deals, reports and rumours from across the country.

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Scotland youth international in demand

Former Rangers youngster Rory Wilson is a man in demand this summer, with clubs in Norway, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark all hoping to secure a loan deal for the talented forward alongside clubs in the English Football League. The 20-year-old joined Aston Villa for a fee of around £350,000 in the summer of 2022 after rising to prominence in the Rangers academy, where he scored 49 goals for the Glasgow giants. He had a short loan with Sturm Graz last season, but struggled to break into their starting XI.

Desperate for more regular first-team action, Wilson has now emerged as a major target for several clubs, with Norwegian club HamKam understood to be leading the race for his signature, having failed in a bid to bring the Scotland Under-21 international to the club prior to his move to the Austrian Bundesliga. Viewed as one of Villa’s most promising young talents, the Midlands club tied him to a new two-year contract last season, with the option of a further year, in order to fend off interest in his services.

Motherwell set for record fee

Motherwell are set to lose another of last season’s star performers, with player of the year Elijah Just closing in on a move to EFL Championship Swansea City. The Fir Park side has already lost Stephen Welsh to Swansea earlier this summer after his impressive loan spell, while key midfielder Elliot Watt completed a move to Samsunspor over the weekend.

Just, 26, was one of the breakout stars of this summer’s World Cup with New Zealand, becoming the first Scottish Premiership player since Henrik Larsson to find the net three times at the tournament. Following his nation’s group stage exit, however, the playmaker admitted he “hoped his agent was working hard” when quizzed over his Motherwell future. He had also been linked with Celtic in recent months.

A nominee for Scottish Premiership player of the year in his debut season with the club, he scored seven goals and assisted seven more as former head coach Jens Berthel Askou led the Steelmen to a fourth-place finish. According to reports, the move for Just will land the club record fee for Motherwell.

Rangers eye international defender

Rangers have emerged as a contender to sign Blackburn Rovers right-back Ryan Alebiosu this summer, with reports claiming they have joined Brentford amongst a long list of suitors for the 24-year-old defender. In the market for a full-back after the departure of long-serving skipper James Tavernier, and the return of Max Aarons following his loan from AFC Bournemouth, the Glasgow giants had been heavily linked to Westerlo’s Bryan Reynolds prior to his £4.5million transfer to Rennes earlier this summer.

With only Dujon Sterling capable of filling the right-back role at Ibrox, head coach Derek McInnes is now believed to have turned his attention to Alebiosu, who impressed at Ewood Park last season following his arrival from KV Kortrijk. Having played 39 times in the English second tier, he produced five assists and earned a call-up to the Nigerian national team. The former Arsenal academy player is under contract until 2028 at Blackburn, and the club are believed to be keen to keep him at the club despite mounting interest in his services.

Celtic linked to double deal

Celtic are ready to reignite their interest in Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Hogh as they look to bolster their squad ahead of their season opening against Dundee on August 3. Martin O’Neill’s men have struggled in the opening weeks of the transfer market, with Qarabag striker Camilo Duran their only new addition, although the Celtic boss did tell fans the club were making “progress” in the quest for new signings following the 1-1 pre-season draw with Middlesbrough at the weekend.

Linked with a move to Parkhead in January, the Danish striker has been a standout performer for the Norwegian outfit in recent seasons, scoring 53 goals in 103 games at the Aspmyra Stadion, including six goals in last season’s Champions League. According to reports, his impressive form has seen Celtic return to the negotiating table for the Denmark international, with the striker valued at around £7million.

And the Scottish champions could look to bolster their striking options even further, with a possible move for former hitman Kyogo Furuhashi mooted over the weekend. The Japanese international scored 85 goals for the club over a three-and-a-half-year period, before leaving to sign for French side Rennes in January 2025 for a fee of £10million, before moving to Birmingham City just six months later. The 31-year-old has struggled since leaving Parkhead, scoring just three goals, and is set to exit the EFL Championship club this summer, with Football Lowdown claiming Furuhashi is craving a return to Celtic and that a deal is ‘poised’ to happen.