Celtic Reshape Attack as Høgh Nears Move and Maeda Exits

Celtic’s forward line is being ripped up and rebuilt in real time.

Kasper Høgh, the £7m-rated Bodo/Glimt striker, is moving closer to a switch to the Scottish champions after talks between the clubs, with multiple reports in Norway and Scotland aligning on the deal’s trajectory. The 25-year-old, long tracked by Celtic since January, watched from the bench on Thursday as Bodo/Glimt swept to a 3-0 win over HamKam, unused and seemingly earmarked for departure.

The message was clear. His next minutes are unlikely to come in yellow.

Høgh’s impending arrival comes just as Daizen Maeda prepares to walk out of Celtic Park. The Japan forward landed in London on Thursday to undergo a medical ahead of a £10m move to Ipswich Town, with his exit expected to be confirmed on Friday. At 28, and after three trophy-laden seasons in Glasgow, Maeda is set to trade Champions League nights for a newly promoted Premier League club determined to make a statement.

One striker in, one striker out. Brendan Rodgers’ attack is being retooled on the fly.

Celtic cast the net wide

Celtic’s recruitment drive does not stop with Høgh. Talks with Paderborn over 22-year-old midfielder Mika Baur have hit a hard valuation line. A £4m offer has been knocked back, with the newly promoted Bundesliga side prepared to let him run down his contract and leave for nothing next summer rather than sell under their asking price.

The Scottish champions are also eyeing Serie A. Lazio pair Gustav Isaksen, a 25-year-old striker, and 24-year-old winger Matteo Cancellieri are both on the radar as Celtic look to inject more pace and variety into the final third.

Even the goalkeeping department is under review. Las Palmas are holding firm on 27-year-old Dinko Horkas, seeking more than £4.3m plus a sell-on clause. Celtic interest is real, but the numbers will need to move before anything else does.

Reo Hatate’s situation adds another layer of intrigue. The midfielder, one of Celtic’s most gifted technicians, is on West Ham United’s summer shortlist, alongside Rangers centre-half John Souttar and his brother Harry, the Leicester City and Australia defender. The London club are clearly shopping in Scotland for steel and composure.

Rangers’ reshuffle and missed targets

Across the city, Rangers are working through their own summer surgery.

Danilo, their 27-year-old striker, has arrived in Brazil and is scheduled for a medical on Friday ahead of a loan move to Botafogo. His time in Glasgow has been punctured by injuries and frustration; a return to Brazil offers a reset, while Rangers clear space and wages for fresh options in attack.

They will not, however, be landing one of Europe’s more coveted young defenders. AC Milan are closing in on a deal with Troyes for 20-year-old centre-back Sankhoun Diawara. Rangers and Basel had both expressed interest, but Milan have pushed ahead and are now close to an agreement, underlining the level of competition facing Scottish clubs in the continental market.

Young talent on the move

The ripple of Scottish influence stretches beyond the Premiership’s two giants.

Mikey Moore, back at Tottenham Hotspur after his loan spell at Rangers, stepped off the bench for the second half of Spurs’ 1-0 friendly win over MK Dons and spoke of being “buzzing to be back”. The 18-year-old winger insists his time in Glasgow has sharpened him, a reminder of how the intensity of Scottish football can harden young players for the demands of England’s top flight.

In the National League, Forest Green Rovers are braced for a transformative payday. Manager Robbie Savage has confirmed the club will bank a record fee, potentially rising close to seven figures, if 29-year-old midfielder Laurent Mendy agrees personal terms with Heart of Midlothian. For Hearts, it is a move aimed squarely at adding power and presence in the middle of the park; for Forest Green, it is a rare windfall.

Aberdeen, meanwhile, are trying to prise Jadel Katongo from Kayserispor. Talks have been opened for the 21-year-old England Under-20 centre-back, but the financial demands involved are already threatening to derail any agreement. The Dons want to build a younger, more athletic back line; the numbers may simply not stretch far enough.

Dundee United fight to keep a prodigy

Dundee United’s summer is a blend of patience and resistance.

They are still waiting on Major League Soccer to sign off the loan deal for 21-year-old left-back Philippe Ndinga from Philadelphia Union, with the paperwork yet to be fully cleared. Until MLS gives the green light, United can only sit tight.

On the home front, manager Jim Goodwin has taken a far more combative stance. He has vowed to “fight tooth and nail” to keep Lorenzo Sassetti at Tannadice after the forward became the club’s youngest ever player on Tuesday at just 15 years old. That historic debut has only intensified interest from Serie A and Premier League clubs, who are tracking the teenager closely.

United know the script. Bigger clubs circle, agents call, heads can turn. Goodwin has drawn his line.

European subplots

On the continent, Scottish clubs are already being written into other people’s stories.

Jagiellonia Bialystok have confirmed that United States midfielder AZ Jackson has refused to return to Poland for pre-season after spending the second half of last season on loan at Vancouver Whitecaps. The 24-year-old will not feature against Rangers in Europa League qualifying, removing one creative threat from the Polish side’s arsenal before a ball is kicked.

For Rangers, that is a small but notable boost in a summer of churn. For Celtic, the real work lies in replacing Maeda’s tireless running while bedding in Høgh and any other new faces before the serious games arrive.

Both Glasgow giants are changing shape. The only question now is whose gamble will carry furthest into the season.