Possible transfer deadline day targets for Celtic and Rangers

We have a look at the players who could be linked with moves to Celtic or Rangers on transfer deadline day.

Motherwell's Louis Moult was linked with a move to Rangers earlier this summer. Picture: SNS

Jamie Walker to Rangers?

A move for the 24-year-old now looks unlikely with Hearts refusing to budge from their £1million price tag and Rangers unwilling to go that high for a player in the final year of his contract. They’re hoping the Jambos bring their demands down, but having suffered a few PR disasters in recent months, it would be foolish for Hearts to bow to the pressure and let their player go for a cut-price fee. Expect Rangers to come back in for the player in January.

Jason Denayer to Celtic?

Celtic do require a centre-back with the move for Rivaldo Coetzee having fallen through and Denayer certainly ticks all the boxes. Winner of Young Player of the Year in his first spell with the club, he’s of the required standard to command a place in the Celtic rearguard, and fits into Brendan Rodgers’ style of passing from the back. Having failed to command a regular place in the Manchester City squad, it’s expected he’ll go on loan somewhere in this window.

Declan John to Rangers?

Rangers are closing in on a loan deal for the Cardiff City left-back. With Myles Beerman having dropped out of the picture, it leaves Lee Hodson as the only current back-up to both James Tavernier and Lee Wallace at the full-back positions, so this is certainly filing a need for Pedro Caixinha’s side. The deal should be concluded on deadline day.

Kenny McLean to Rangers?

Talk of signing the Aberdeen man has gone cold in recent months since the Pittodrie side insisted they would not be selling the man despite McLean being in the final year of his contract. Rangers offered £300,000 earlier in the summer, but with a bid of around £1million needed to get Aberdeen’s attention, this one doesn’t have much chance of happening.

Valentin Stocker to Celtic?

On Monday, reports in Germany credited Celtic with an interest in the 28-year-old who has struggled for regular first-team place at Hertha Berlin. The Swiss international attacker would fit Celtic’s need for a third striker, though he is capable of playing anywhere across the front. A transfer fee of around £3.5million may put off Celtic, with Brendan Rodgers previously insisting he wasn’t in the market for a third-choice striker to play behind Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele.

Odsonne Edouard to Celtic?

The 19-year-old French striker would fill Celtic’s need and, on a season-long loan, would represent the kind of short-term solution to the club’s lack of a natural forward behind their first-choice strikers. There is a concern over his off-field behaviour after he was given a suspended custodial sentence for being involved in an incident where a man was shot in the head with an airgun.

Louis Moult to Rangers?

Linked with the Ibrox club at the tail end of last season, talk around Moult died down over the summer as Rangers went on a spending spree. Despite this, they still lack options up front, with Kenny Miller yet to discover last season’s form and Joe Dodoo seemingly out of the first-team picture. Motherwell, though, seem determined to hang on to their top goalscorer, for fear of seriously dropping into relegation contention, and may have their case to keep Moult until next summer emboldened by Blackburn Rovers’ interest in centre-back Ben Heneghan.

Miquel Nelom to Celtic?

Celtic were said to be tracking the Dutch international a fortnight ago, though it seems unlikely they’ll make a move in the current transfer window. Kieran Tierney is entrenched as the club’s first-choice left-back, so it would be a curious decision to spend money on a player to sit in reserve. Although, Nelom is versatile enough to cover at centre-back, so could be the answer to that problem if Celtic are unable to recruit any of their top targets.