Celtic to ‘accelerate’ bid, Rangers reunion hits the rocks, Hearts deal close - Scottish transfer news
All the latest Scottish transfer news on Saturday morning - including reports from Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, St Mirren and beyond.
The Scottish Premiership transfer window will go up a notch this weekend, with many clubs not in action due to their involvement in European competition. Now into it’s final 13 days, expect the reports, rumours and headlines to gain pace ahead of the September 3 deadline.
In your Saturday morning transfer bulletin, we’ve got the all the latest news from Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, St Mirren and beyond.
St Mirren announce exit
St Mirren have confirmed the departure of Roland Idowu to Botosani, with the Romanian top flight club paying an undisclosed fee for the 24-year-old midfielder. The 24-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the Paisley outfit, playing over 80 times at the Marbill Coaches Stadium after originally joining the club on a loan deal from Shrewsbury Town.
Idowu featured off the bench in St Mirren’s opening two league games against Falkirk and St Johnstone, but has now been offered the opportunity to progress his career in Europe, though the club have inserted a sell-on fee into the deal. A short statement on the club’s official website read: "We sincerely thank Roland for his contributions during his time at the club and wish him the best of luck for the future.”
Hearts deal close
Hearts will have one eye on the Rhode Island team sheet this weekend, with American striker JJ Williams understood to be closing on a deal to move to Tynecastle. The USL Championship side will take on Monterey Bay in the early hours of Sunday morning, and supporters will be keen to see if the 28-year-old is included in the starting XI at the Centreville Bank Stadium, with the striker expected to travel to the capital this weekend, having told insiders that he is “very excited” about a move to Tynecastle this summer.
Meanwhile, in demand striker Claudio Braga has spoken about his own future at Hearts this summer, with transfer interest ramping up in the Portuguese hitman ahead of the deadline on September 3. Speaking exclusively to our sister title the Edinburgh Evening News, the 26-year-old said: “If I leave, it will be to go somewhere I feel will be a step up for me, for my career, for my life and my family. And definitely, it must be good for the club. I feel like, if it’s something good for me and good for the club, I will leave. But if it’s only good for me or only good for the club, then I will stick around. I’m happy here. I feel really loved here. Of course, if it’s something good for both parties, which is a little bit like the club’s model, then yeah.”
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Rangers reunion hits the rocks
Rangers’ hopes of reuniting with former fan favourite Vaclav Cerny have taken a major hit, with a report from Turkish outlet Orta Cizgi claiming the player is not interested in returning to Ibrox this summer. The Czech international emerged as a shock target for Derek McInnes’ side earlier this week, with the Glasgow club holding discussions over a deal that could see the former loanee re-join the club on a permanent deal.
The 28-year-old spent a successful year with Rangers in the 2024/25 season, bagging 18 goals and assisting a further nine more in all competitions. However, a permanent deal did not materialise for the winger, and he instead moved to the Turkish Super Lig last summer, where he registered 15 goal contributions as Kara Kartallar finished in fourth.
The player still has admirers at Rangers, though it was understood that any deal could prove difficult due to Besiktas’ £8million valuation, coupled with his hefty reported £38,000 weekly wage packet. Now reports in Turkiye claim the deal is unlikely to progress, with Besiktas said to have rejected the club’s first official offer, with Cerny himself approaching club officials to make them aware of his desire to stay at the Tupras Stadium.
Celtic to ‘accelerate’ bid
Celtic’s plans to bring Hajduk Split midfielder Niko Sigur to the club this summer have taken a major step forward, with the club ready to launch an official bid for the midfielder this week. Martin O’Neill hopes to bring the Canadian international to Glasgow ahead of the transfer deadline, with the veteran thought to be drawn in by his versatility, as he can play both in midfield and at right-back.
However, according to a report from Pablo Oliveira, Celtic are now ready to ‘accelerate’ their bid to sign Sigur, with the club’s ‘likely qualification’ for the Champions League proving to be the catalyst for the Hoops to launch their first official offer for the player, who is thought to be valued at around the £3million mark.Starting his career in his homeland, Sigur moved to the Croatian giants as a teenager, where he quickly progressed from their academy to make his senior professional debut in April 2023.
The 22-year-old has become a first-team regular at Stadion Poljud, where his performances caught the attention of Canada boss Jesse Marsch, who included him in the national team squad for this summer’s World Cup.
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