Rangers braced for interest, Celtic given asking price, Motherwell star unaffected - Scottish transfer news
Here are the latest Scottish transfer headlines on Wednesday morning, with reports from Rangers, Celtic, Motherwell, and beyond.
The final days of the Scottish winter transfer window are now upon us, with a number of clubs still scrambling to complete some final deals ahead of the deadline on February 2.
In Wednesday morning’s transfer wrap, we’ll have all the latest rumours, reports and completed deals from around the Scottish Premiership with reports from Rangers, Celtic, Motherwell, and beyond.
Dundee United close in on duo
Dundee United head coach Jim Goodwin is poised to add a new goalkeeper to his squad after agreeing a deal for Charlton Athletic’s Ashley Maynard-Brewer. The 26-year-old Australian has struggled for regular game time with the Addicks this season, and is keen to make the move to Tannadice after the two clubs agreed on an undisclosed fee. It is understood that the stopper is likely to be available for this weekend’s clash with Hearts.
Goodwin is also closing in on a pre-contract agreement with New Zealand international winger Jesse Randall, according to a report from the Daily Record. The 44-year-old boss is said to be confident he can strike up a deal with the 23-year-old, who is a free agent when his contract expires with Auckland FC this summer. The pacey winger has been capped four times by his national team, and has performed admirably in the A-League this summer, scoring five goals and assisting a further three in 14 games.
Motherwell star ‘unaffected’
Motherwell’s star striker Tawanda Maswanhise has not been affected by the speculation on his future with the club, according to head coach Jens Berthel Askou. The Zimbabwean international has scored 11 league goals at Fir Park this season, and has courted serious interest, with big money moves to Celtic and Rangers rumoured throughout the winter transfer window - though Motherwell hope to hold onto him until the summer.
“It’s very easy to focus on what we need to do here,” said Berthel-Askou. “That is to make sure we are successful. That we improve, and he improves. That we keep setting him up in front of the goal because he is very effective. He is doing really well. It was like telling your son, it’s time to go to bed now. He wanted to play for another half an hour. It was clear, and I get that. But we are now getting into a spell of a lot of games where we need to keep him fresh and sharp.” The 23-year-old remained fairly tight-lipped over his future, though, simply saying: “I am obviously happy with my form. I hope to continue on this path, scoring and assisting goals.”
Celtic miss out on target
Celtic appear to have lost the race to sign Red Bull Leipzig player Xaver Schlager, with the Austrian reportedly closing in on a move to Serie A. The 28-year-old is out of contract with the Bundesliga side in six months, which had alerted Celtic to his availability, while Juventus and AS Roma were also said to be keeping tabs on the player’s situation at the Red Bull Arena.
With Celtic boss Martin O’Neill keen to add further quality to his midfield, Schlager was named as someone who could make a move to Celtic Park during the winter transfer window, with one report even suggesting a potential swap-deal scenario involving current Arne Engels, who had interest from Leipzig earlier in the month. However, Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Juventus have secured his signature ahead of Monday’s deadline, with the deal said to be at an advanced stage with the Turin outfit.
Elsewhere, a report from the Evening Standard claims that rumoured Celtic target David Datro Fofana will only be allowed to leave on a permanent transfer this month. A long-term target for the Hoops, the 23-year-old is available for transfer after being recalled from his loan spell with Fatih Karagumruk in the Turkish Super Lig, and Liam Rosenior’s side are hoping they land a transfer fee for him before the end of the window, rather than loaning him out again.
Celtic given asking price
Celtic have been told they must stump up a figure of £7million if they hope to lure away hotshot forward Kasper Hogh from Bodo/Glimt this month. The 25-year-old emerged as a target for the Scottish champions on Tuesday, with the club said to be ready to rival Norwich City for the Danish striker, who scored 17 league goals at the Aspmyra Stadion as Kjetil Knutsen’s finished as runners-up in the Eliteserien.
Hogh, who moved to Bodo/Glimt two seasons ago, hit the headlines last week when he scored a brace in his side’s memorable 3-1 Champions League win over Manchester City, and now has serious interest in his services.
Desperate to add to their attacking options this month, Celtic were able to add Czech Republic international Tomas Cvancara on a loan-to-buy deal from Borussia Monchengladbach last week, but would like to add another forward to their ranks, and view Hogh as someone who could make an immediate impact at Parkhead, though he won’t come cheap, with reports claiming that Norwich have already had a bid rejected for the player. Bodo/Glimt are believed to be holding out for a fee closer to £7million.
Rangers braced for interest in trio
Rangers have rejected huge bids for attackers Djeidi Gassama and Youssef Chermiti just days before the transfer window slams shut - and are bracing themselves for interest in another of their key men. The Ibrox giants knocked back an offer believed to be worth £10million from Monaco for French youth international Gassama on Tuesday morning, and were forced to fend off interest in Chermiti hours later after receiving a bid worth around £13million for the Portuguese hitman.
The club has made it clear to both interested parties that neither player is available for sale during the winter transfer window, with Danny Rohl keen to strengthen his squad, not weaken it, as they look to topple Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
However, reports now claim that Rangers are preparing themselves for interest in centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez, who has admirers in both England and Europe. German sides Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund are said to have sent scouts to watch him in recent weeks. A £2.5million signing from Peterborough United in the summer, the 24-year-old struggled for regular game time under former head coach Russell Martin, but has emerged as a key player since the appointment of Rohl, scoring four goals and playing a pivotal role in Rangers’ strong defensive record.
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