Old Firm Rivals Eye Serie A Winger Fares Ghedjemis

The Old Firm are locked on to the same target again. This time, their gaze has turned to Italy.

Celtic and Rangers are both pursuing Fares Ghedjemis of Frosinone, a 23-year-old winger who has caught the eye strongly enough to spark a cross-Glasgow tug of war. The problem for both? The Algerian is understood to favour staying in Italy, ideally with a step up to a bigger Serie A club rather than a move north to Scotland.

That won’t stop the phone calls. It rarely does in Glasgow.

Celtic juggle bids, pressure and priorities

While they wait to see whether Ghedjemis can be tempted, Celtic’s summer is already deep into a complicated balancing act.

On the right side of defence, Fulham have joined Everton in the chase for Alistair Johnston. The Canada international has become a mainstay at right-back, and interest from the Premier League is no surprise. The London club are now ready to rival Everton for his signature, turning up the heat just as Celtic edge towards crucial European qualifiers.

Inside the club, the stance is hardening. Celtic want around £25m for Arne Engels and have already turned down an offer from West Ham. The 22-year-old, with two years left on his contract, has emerged as a key asset, and the Scottish champions are in no mood to sell on the cheap.

The idea of Engels dropping into the Championship with West Ham has raised eyebrows. Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has branded it “strange” that the midfielder would even consider that route when he is already at a club guaranteed regular title pushes and European football. Sutton has also been clear on Johnston: he insists Celtic cannot afford to lose their first-choice right-back before the Champions League play-off matches are out of the way.

Celtic’s recruitment drive isn’t slowing. Mika Baur, the 22-year-old midfielder at Paderborn, is pushing for a move to Glasgow and is said to have his heart set on joining the Scottish champions. He wants the deal done quickly, eager to swap the 2. Bundesliga for the intensity of Parkhead and the prospect of Champions League nights.

So Celtic find themselves in a familiar position: big clubs circling their best players while ambitious targets press to come in. Hold firm on Engels. Decide what price, if any, pries Johnston away. And move quickly enough to land Baur before other suitors appear.

Rangers plan overhaul as exits loom

Across the city, Rangers are preparing for a different kind of reshuffle.

The Ibrox club are ready to strengthen their squad with as many as four further signings, a sizeable injection of new faces as they attempt to overhaul Celtic and make a mark in Europe. But the door cannot only swing one way. A raft of departures is expected to clear space and raise funds, with a number of exits likely to be sanctioned before the window closes.

Among those who could go is Nico Raskin, widely regarded as one of Rangers’ prize assets. The Belgian midfielder has been a focal point in the middle of the park, yet his sale is now on the table as the club weigh up how best to reshape the squad and balance the books. Cashing in on Raskin would be a statement – and a risk.

Even the new arrivals are not without complications. Fresh 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 derail early-season plans, especially when every European fixture carries financial and sporting weight.

Rangers want four in, several out, and a squad sharp enough to chase down their greatest rivals. Celtic are trying to fend off England, tempt Germany, and keep Italy within reach. The transfer window has become its own Old Firm derby – and the final whistle is still some way off.