Old Firm Transfer Battle Heats Up as Celtic and Rangers Target Key Players
The league campaign has barely drawn breath, but Celtic and Rangers have already turned the Old Firm rivalry into a full‑scale transfer duel – stretching from Italy to Germany and back to Glasgow.
Old Firm eye same Serie A winger
Both clubs have set their sights on Fares Ghedjemis of Frosinone, a 23-year-old winger whose stock has risen sharply in Italy. Celtic and Rangers see pace and creativity that could tilt tight domestic games and add a different dimension in Europe.
There is a problem. Ghedjemis is understood to favour staying in Italy, ideally with a bigger Serie A club. For Celtic and Rangers, that means they are trying to tempt a player who, at this stage, appears to see his future elsewhere. The interest is real, the pursuit serious, but the deal sits firmly in the “difficult” category.
Johnston wanted in England as Celtic set their price elsewhere
On the other flank, Celtic face a very different kind of pressure. Fulham are ready to rival Everton for Alistair Johnston, the Canada international who has become a key figure at right-back.
The attraction is obvious. Johnston is aggressive, reliable, and comfortable on the European stage. For English Premier League clubs hunting value, he looks like an ideal fit.
Inside Celtic, though, there is a clear red line. Former striker Chris Sutton has already branded the idea of selling Johnston before the Champions League play-off matches as unthinkable, arguing the defender simply cannot be allowed to leave at such a critical point in the season. That sentiment echoes the mood around the club: Champions League qualification comes first, big-money decisions come later.
While they fend off interest in one player, Celtic are digging in over another. They have placed a £25m valuation on Arne Engels after knocking back an offer from West Ham. The 22-year-old, who still has two years left on his contract, is seen as a central piece of their medium-term project.
Sutton has also questioned why Engels would consider dropping into the Championship with West Ham when he could remain at a club chasing titles and Champions League football. The message from Glasgow is blunt: if anyone wants him, they will have to pay top-tier money.
German midfielder pushing hard for Parkhead
Not every transfer story around Celtic is a battle. Some are edging in their favour.
Mika Baur, the 22-year-old midfielder at Paderborn, is described as having his heart set on a move to Celtic. He wants the switch and wants it quickly. For a club used to persuading players of the merits of Scottish football, that kind of determination from the player’s side can accelerate negotiations.
Baur’s eagerness offers Celtic something rare in a window dominated by resistance and brinkmanship: momentum. With Champions League qualifiers looming, a young, hungry midfielder desperate to pull on the shirt is exactly the sort of deal they will try to close without fuss.
Rangers brace for exits before late window push
Across the city, Rangers are preparing for a different kind of reshuffle. The plan is clear: strengthen with up to four further signings, but only after a wave of departures.
A “plethora of exits” is expected to be sanctioned, with Nico Raskin at the centre of it all. The Belgian midfielder is viewed as a prize asset, and his sale could unlock the funds needed to complete the rebuild. It is a familiar equation at Ibrox – cash in on one of the most marketable players, then spread that money across several key positions.
The risk is obvious. Lose too much quality, or misjudge the timing, and the squad could look thin just as the season begins to bite. Get it right, and Rangers emerge from the window leaner, fresher, and better equipped for a title fight and a Europa League run.
Visa snag for new Rangers signing
Even new arrivals are not immune to complications. Fresh signing Olwethu Makhanya may miss the Europa League tie against Jagiellonia Bialystok because of a visa issue.
For a player hoping to make an early statement in Europe, it is a frustrating start. For Rangers, it is another reminder that the best-laid transfer plans can be held up by off‑field red tape rather than anything that happens on the pitch.
As August unfolds, both Glasgow giants are juggling ambition, finance, and European demands. One club is fighting to keep its core intact while adding carefully. The other is preparing to sell big to buy big. Between them, they are chasing the same winger in Italy and wrestling with the same question: who will come out of this window stronger when the real battles begin?
