Rangers near signing of £2.25m ace, Celtic in 29-goal striker boost, Ali McCann transfer tip, £2.5m defender nears Parkhead move - Scottish Premiership Rumour Mill

It is another big night in Europe for Scotland with three teams in action.

All the latest from around the SPFL. Picture: SNS

Celtic defeated AZ Alkmaar on Wednesday and now it is the turn of Rangers, Aberdeen and St Johnstone as they all look to progress to the knockout stages of either the Europa League or Conference League.

Scottish clubs are also keeping a close eye on the transfer market with under two weeks remaining of the window and some key deals could be completed shortly.

Midfielder nears Ibrox move

Rangers hope to tie up the signing of Juninho Bacuna from Huddersfield Town in the “coming days” but a deal could be done today (Thursday). The 24-year-old is a key target for the Scottish champions as Steven Gerrard looks to add to his midfield options. Bacuna joined Huddersfield, for a fee of around £2.25m, when they were in the Premier League after impressing in the Eredivisie with Groningen.

Gerrard said: “The progress is really good. Until it’s done and dusted, it’s very hard to give an exact time and date. I am hoping for more positive news in the coming hours and maybe sometime on Thursday.”

Celtic signings to support

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed there will be more signings at Parkhead, but those that arrive won't be replacing the current squad, just supporting them. The Parkhead side impressed again, defeating AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League qualifiers.

Postecoglou said: “I’m not looking for players to replace the ones we’ve got. I’m looking for players to complement what we’ve got, so we can keep building a strong squad – which we’re going to need.”

Ali McCann transfer tip

St Johnstone midfielder Ali McCann has been tipped to have interest from “other teams in Europe”. LASK Linz boss Dominik Thalhammer reckons the Northern Irish international's performances won't have gone unnoticed. Celtic have been linked with a move, while Saints are unlikely to sell for less than £3million.

Thalhammer said: “We watched Ali McCann as well as players like Chris Kane and Shaun Rooney, who scores goals coming from the flank. McCann is a great player and someone who will be interesting for other teams in Europe.

Striker could still make Celtic move

Georgios Giakoumakis could still become a Celtic player. The Greek striker has been strongly linked with a move to German side Werder Bremen and even been pictured in Germany. According to reports in the player's homeland, however, their offer of €2m plus add-ons for the VVV Venlo forward is not enough. The 26-year-old netted 29 goals in 33 appearances last season, including three hat-tricks.

Celtic close in on £2.5m signing

Meanwhile, there is better news for Celtic in their pursuit of right-back Josip Juranovic. A deal for the Croatian right-back has been agreed with Legia Warsaw for £2.5million. He could, however, still feature for the Polish side in the Europa League tonight.

"I know that the clubs have agreed on the transfer, and he is still negotiating his terms,” Michniewicz said. "I had a preliminary talk with Jura at the airport about the game. He is willing to play and we will make the final decision on Thursday.”

Woodburn to Hearts hinges on Klopp

Hearts must wait to find out if they can land Ben Woodburn from Liverpool on loan. The midfielder has impressed Jurgen Klopp in pre-season and he could remain as part of the squad until nearer the transfer window deadline with the Anfield club looking to sign reinforcements.

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