Scottish Premiership: 12 most interesting transfers - Rangers' mercurial star to Celtic's 26-goal striker to the Hearts ace looking to cause 'carnage'

Joel Sked casts his eye over the transfer window and picks out 12 of the most intriguing deals, featuring every Scottish Premiership club.

Jake Doyle-Hayes has impressed already at Hibs. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Aberdeen – David Bates

There is plenty to be intrigued about with Stephen Glass and the way he has reshaped the squad. Plenty of experience arrived early on with younger additions following. Scott Brown, Christian Ramirez and Matty Longstaff are just some of the fascinating recruits but David Bates is an interesting case. He performed strongly in his final season with Rangers before the switch to Hamburg. He hasn’t played for the German giants since the 2018/19 season. The 24-year-old believes he has evolved as a player and he has found a place to settle. He should get the chance to really make the centre-back position his own at Pittodrie with Andy Considine out injured which would allow Ross McCrorie to play elsewhere.

Celtic – Giorgos Giakoumakis

Juninho Bacuna has added to Steven Gerrard's choice in midfield. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

It is already clear that Kyogo Furuhashi will be Ange Postecoglou's best recruit. The Japanese forward has been excellent so far, a captivating watch. Giakoumakis was a deadline day addition from VVV-Venlo. There was interest from elsewhere but the Parkhead side won the race for last season's Eredivisie top scorer with 26. On the face of it, that looks fantastic business. However, dig a little bit deeper and you see a striker who has struggled to score elsewhere, hitting double figures just once before when he scored 12 for Greek side Platanias. Marc Lamberts, part-time recruitment analyst and Venlo fan, noted the player improved last season and put up some encouraging stats beyond his goal scoring.

Dundee – Leigh Griffiths

When asked what the player would bring to Dundee, both Griffiths and manager James McPake said the same thing: GOALS! They are not wrong, his record in the Premiership stands at 90 in 173. He has, however, failed to hit double figures in the league in the last four seasons. The player has had off-field issues to contend with and questions over his fitness. Returning to Dens Park, he will be given plenty of support and be the main man. It is the ideal platform for him to get back to his very best. He could be the reason Dundee finish in the top six.

Dundee United – Scott McMann

St Mirren's Cammy MacPherson has joined St Johnstone on loan. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

The obvious answer is Ilmari Niskanen, and rightly so. Finnish international winger signed from Germany, what's not to like? McMann on the other hand will be a name most United fans will be familiar with. He’s had his ups and downs at Accies but last season saw him as an integral part of the club's attacking threat from wing-back. The 25-year-old can play as a left wing-back, a left-back or a centre-back. He will have big shoes to fill with Jamie Robson departing and it will be interesting to see him playing for a new team.

Hearts – Cammy Devlin

The Australian finally completed his move to Hearts on transfer deadline day with the transfer having been in the pipeline for some time. Talking about his style of play, Devlin talked about causing “carnage”. It will have landed well with Hearts fans. He comes with a good reputation from his homeland. He can play in a midfield two or three. He combines aggression and a competitive streak out of possession with assured passing on the ball.

Hibs – Jake Doyle-Hayes

The Easter Road faithful have already taken to the Irishman since his move from St Mirren and he has been compared to the club’s former star Dylan McGeouch. Last season Hibs needed a defensive midfielder and got hat in Alex Gogic. This summer they were looking for another upgrade in the middle following the departure of Jackson Irvine. Doyle-Hayes gives them that. A player who can do a bit of everything in midfield. The ball winner, the water carrier and he can create as well. A player like Doyle-Hayes allows Jack Ross to switch between a midfield two and midfield three such is his skillset.

Livingston – Stephane Omeonga

The midfielder's return to Scotland certainly raised an eyebrow or two when he pitched up at Livingston. He was a big fan favourite at Hibs across two spells. He joined on a two-year deal after his release from Pescara and Livi boss David Martindale admitted that it couldn’t be done sooner as the club were “a good distance away" from being able to match what the midfielder made in Italy. Marvin Bartley played a key role in the deal and with Livi having started the season slowly, a player of Omeonga’s quality should provide a huge boost, whether he can be that consistent talisman will be fascinating to see.

Motherwell – Connor Shields

Graham Alexander has added plenty to his Motherwell squad this summer in a variety of positions. Shields arrived from the Championship after a positive season with Queen of the South. A thigh issue has limited him to just two appearances so far but there is definite talent there to harness for good. He may not be ready to lead the line in the way Tony Watt and Kevin van Veen will be expected to but he can be versatile and play wide or offer a direct and bustling threat off the bench.

Rangers – Juninho Bacuna

The midfielder divided opinion at Huddersfield Town. Terriers fan and writer David Hartrick wrote: “The evident talent and the moments he showed it in a Town shirt caused a great deal of debate… after his departure, social media was awash with everything from 'we shouldn’t have sold him' to 'I’ll drive him there myself'”. At Huddersfield he was versatile but inconsistent, capable of brilliance but also of being notable for not doing anything. He made the move after impressing in the Dutch top-flight, there is plenty about him. But, also, Steven Gerrard has plenty of choice in midfield. Where will he be used?

Ross County – Harry Clarke

There are plenty of unknowns in Malky Mackay’s squad this season. He has made use of his contacts down south and added ten from England. It is always a risk when managers go down that route, especially with so many signings. On top of that, an abundance of Scottish Premiership experience has left. Clarke is one who comes with a solid reputation. A season with Oldham Athletic last campaign will stand him in good stead and he has already made a positive impression.

St Johnstone – Cammy MacPherson

The transfer window for the Saints will be all about the loss of Ali McCann. However, they may well have plucked out the most suitable replacement in MacPherson, a player who has the attributes to fill that void. He can play as a No.6, a No.8 or even as an attacking presence from midfield. He is combative, aggressive and direct. For some reason he has fallen down the pecking order at St Mirren under Jim Goodwin. He has the mobility and quality on the ball to play in a midfield two or three.

St Mirren – Alan Power

The midfielder angered many with a challenge on David Turnbull in St Mirren’s thumping at the hands of Celtic last month. The Irishman was shown a red card for a full throttle tackle. Strong challenges are part of his game but he was made out in some quarters to be some sort of hammer thrower. At Kilmarnock across four seasons he showed there was much more to his game than simply kicking people. He played a key part in helping Killie into Europe. His influence slipped last season but a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs. He just needs to stay on his feet and the park.

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