Rangers Miss Out on Ferguson as Celtic Strengthens Squad
Lewis Ferguson was ready. Rangers, it seems, were not.
According to his father Derek, the Scotland midfielder had agreed to join the Ibrox club this summer, only for Rangers to stall and ultimately fail to submit a bid to Bologna. Speaking to Open Goal, Derek Ferguson suggested the window of opportunity has closed for now and doubts a January move for the 27-year-old can be resurrected.
While one potential exit never even reached the negotiating table, another stalled on price. Rangers were prepared to listen to offers for Nicolas Raskin, but Besiktas did not come close to the £20m valuation the Ibrox side were working from. With the move collapsing, Derek McInnes believes the 25-year-old Belgian now has a clear task: perform, and earn that big-money switch when the window reopens.
The uncertainty does not end there. John Souttar’s future remains in the balance after a transfer away from Ibrox failed to materialise for the 29-year-old centre-half. Derek McInnes has promised to lift the lid early next week, hinting that clarity is coming even if a move is not.
Celtic's Recruitment
Across the city, the mood around recruitment feels very different.
Celtic pushed hard for Gvidas Gineitis and were willing to go to around £9m, but Torino held firm, valuing the 22-year-old Lithuania international closer to £13m. Head coach Ignacio Abate is delighted to keep him, a stance that underlines how highly the Serie A club rate the midfielder.
Celtic still made a left-field move at left-back. The champions brought in 18-year-old Landon Emenalo on loan from Chelsea as cover for Kieran Tierney, a decision that has raised eyebrows. Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has questioned why the club turned to an untested teenager rather than looking within the Premiership at Dundee United’s Will Ferry or Motherwell’s Emmanuel Longelo, or considering PAOK’s Greg Taylor.
Yet despite the criticism around specific deals, Gordon Strachan has stepped in to defend the broader picture. The former Celtic manager insists the Scottish champions’ recruitment “has been phenomenal”, a strong endorsement at a time when sections of the support have targeted the board over transfer strategy.
Other Developments
Away from Glasgow’s two giants, another familiar Scottish figure could soon be on the move. Steve Evans, the 63-year-old Scot currently in charge of Bristol Rovers, is being monitored by both Hibernian and Preston North End as a potential option should either club decide to change managers.
Deals missed, values disputed, futures hanging in the air – the window may be shut, but the consequences are only just beginning to play out.
