Rangers exit confirmed, ex-Celtic target quits club, Scott McTominay decision slammed - Scottish transfer news

In Thursday morning’s transfer bulletin, we’ve got the latest transfer reports from Celtic, Rangers, St Mirren and the Scotland national team:

St Mirren battle for duo

St Johnstone goalkeeper Ross Sinclair is a man in demand this summer, with St Mirren eyeing a permanent move for the 25-year-old after his successful emergency loan spell in Paisley at the back end of last season. Available on a Bosman free transfer following the expiry of his contract at McDiarmid Park, head coach Craig McLeish wants to bring Sinclair back to the club ahead of the new season, though he will face competition from Dundee United. According to a report from the Daily Record, McLeish is keen to wrap up a deal for Sinclair after seeing Shamal George return to his parent club, Wycombe Wanderers.

Meanwhile, St Mirren skipper Mark O’Hara could leave the club this month despite being offered an extension by the Buddies. His contract is due to expire at SMiSA Stadium this month, and the club want to extend his stay. However, they face stiff competition from clubs in England, Europe and Asia, as well as from Scottish Premiership rivals Kilmarnock.

McTominay deal slammed

Former Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney admits he couldn’t believe his former club allowed Scotland international Scott McTominay to leave the club to sign for Napoli two years ago and has backed him to make a major impact at this year’s World Cup in North America.

Rooney was joined by McTominay’s international teammate Ryan Christie on the show, who discussed the 29-year-old midfielder’s exit from Old Trafford in September 2024 and revealed why his performances for Serie A giants Napoli have become a major inspiration to the Scotland squad.

“I couldn’t believe Manchester United let him go,” said Rooney. “He obviously works extremely hard. At the time they let him go, he was actually one of the players you wanted on the pitch every week, because you felt that the players weren’t giving their best, and he was impactful. He was scoring important goals, and when Manchester United let him go, I was thinking, ‘wow, what is going on here’. But you’ve got Scotland now, a few players playing at the top level, which will filter down into the rest of the squad.

“An unbelievable professional,” said Christie. “His diet and his gym work, he’s just an absolute athlete. He wants to find every one per cent in his game, and as Wayne said, it’s an inspiration actually watching that in front of you. Then he goes back to Napoli, and he wins the league, and you see it pay off with the work he’s putting in. He’s a credit to himself.”

Ex-Celtic target quits club

Former Celtic managerial target Kieran McKenna has sensationally quit Ipswich Town and confirmed he plans to take a break from football just weeks after sealing promotion back to the English Premier League. The Irish head coach was heavily linked with a move to Parkhead in the wake of Brendan Rodgers' resignation last season, but remained at Portman Road and led his side to a third promotion under his tenure, finishing in second place in the EFL Championship.

Linked with a move to Fulham earlier this week following the departure of Marco Silva, the 40-year-old boss has made the shock decision to take time away from football, releasing an emotional statement on Ipswich’s official website.

“It is with a mixture of gratitude, pride, sadness and contentment that I have decided to step down from the honour of managing this historic football club,” said McKenna. “When you have the connection that we have built at this club there is never a good time to say goodbye. However, having achieved a second promotion to the Premier League last season, with another memorable final day in our stadium, and after reflection over the last couple of weeks, I feel this is the right time for me to step aside. I do so with great pride at the incredible progress we have made and with huge hope and optimism for the future of the club. To manage this club has been an absolute privilege.

“Over the last five seasons we have been on an incredible journey that has brought so many of the best experiences in my professional and personal life. After giving so much to the role over the previous five seasons, I now look forward to taking a break from management and dedicating some time to my family, who have been with me every step of my career so far.”

Rangers exit confirmed

Rangers defender Ben Davies has completed a permanent exit from the club after agreeing a deal with newly promoted EFL Championship side Bolton Wanderers upon the expiry of his contracr. The 30-year-old centre back joined Rangers four seasons ago in a £4million deal from Liverpool, but struggled to impress in Govan before being allowed to leave on loan to Birmingham City in the summer of 2024.

Davies helped the Blues win the EFL League One title in record-breaking fashion, though they opted against making a permanent move for the player, with a loan move to Oxford United agreed instead. However, he played just 10 times at the Kassam Stadium as the U’s suffered relegation to the third tier and returned to Rangers upon the conclusion of the campaign.

Out of contract this summer with Rangers, he has now completed a permanent move away from the club, penning a two year deal with the Trotters following their promotion back to the second tier of English football. "It feels brilliant to be here,” said Davies. “I heard of interest from a few clubs but as soon as I knew Bolton were interested, this was the club I wanted to come to. It's going to be exciting times back in the Championship after an excellent year last season. I've seen that the average attendance last year was over 20,000 and that was a massive pull for me."

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