Celtic and Rangers Eye Frosinone's Fares Ghedjemis in Transfer Battle
Celtic and Rangers lock horns again – this time in the market, not in the middle of the park.
The Old Firm’s latest battleground is Italy, where both clubs are tracking Frosinone winger Fares Ghedjemis. The 23-year-old, who represents Algeria, has emerged as a shared target, but the early signs are not in Glasgow’s favour. Ghedjemis is understood to prefer staying in Serie A and using Frosinone as a springboard to a bigger Italian club rather than crossing the continent for Scotland.
That won’t stop either Celtic or Rangers asking the question. Wide players with pace and upside are gold dust, and when both Glasgow giants move into the same lane, the stakes rise quickly. Yet this pursuit already feels like an uphill climb against the lure of Italy’s top flight.
Celtic juggle bids, pressure and priorities
Across the city, Celtic’s summer is starting to look like a crowded chessboard.
On one flank, Fulham have joined Everton in the hunt for right-back Alistair Johnston. The Canada international has become a reliable pillar in Celtic’s back line, and Premier League interest was always likely. Now it has arrived.
Inside Celtic Park, though, there is a clear red line. Former striker Chris Sutton has called it “strange” that Arne Engels would even contemplate dropping into the Championship with West Ham and has been equally forthright on Johnston’s situation, insisting the defender cannot be sold before the Champions League play-off matches. That sentiment will resonate with a support that knows how fragile qualification can be.
Celtic’s stance on Engels underlines that resolve. The club have rejected an offer from West Ham for the 22-year-old and set their price at £25m. With two years left on his contract, Celtic are in a position of strength and are behaving like it. No cut-price deals. No panic sales. Not for a player they clearly see as central to the medium-term project.
While they fight off suitors, they also have one eye firmly on incoming business. Mika Baur, the 22-year-old from Paderborn, is pushing hard for a move to Glasgow. He is described as having his heart set on Celtic and wants the switch “as soon as possible”. In a market often dictated by agents and leverage, that kind of clarity from a player can move a deal along quickly.
So Celtic find themselves in a familiar modern position: fending off the Premier League with one hand, trying to close ambitious, value-driven signings with the other, all while Champions League qualifiers loom.
Rangers plan rebuild – but exits must come first
Rangers, meanwhile, are preparing for a different kind of balancing act.
The Ibrox club are planning to strengthen their squad with up to four further signings as they reshape the dressing room. The intent is clear: this is not a minor tune-up, it is a substantive rebuild aimed at closing the gap domestically and competing in Europe with more authority.
There is a catch. To fund and facilitate that level of business, Rangers are expected to sanction a string of departures. A “plethora” of exits are being lined up, and the headline name among the potential sales is Nico Raskin. The Belgian midfielder has often been spoken of as a prize asset; now he could become the key to unlocking the rest of the window if the right offer lands on the table.
That kind of decision defines a season. Cashing in on a central player can power a rebuild, but it also tests recruitment accuracy and the manager’s ability to integrate new faces quickly under pressure.
Rangers’ short-term concerns are not limited to the market. New signing Olwethu Makhanya may miss the Europa League tie against Jagiellonia Bialystok because of a visa issue. It is the kind of administrative snag that can feel minor in isolation but becomes a serious headache when fixtures stack up and new arrivals are expected to contribute immediately.
For both halves of Glasgow, the pattern is familiar but the details are sharp. Celtic are fighting to keep a core intact while targeting specific upgrades. Rangers are braced for churn, willing to trade talent to build a deeper, more balanced squad.
The derby will come soon enough. The question now is this: whose summer gambles will look wiser when the noise of the transfer window gives way to the noise of a packed stadium?
