Rangers sign 'exciting' 26 y/o, striker fee scotched, Celtic target misses game, Hearts exit - Scottish transfers
A selection of transfer stories from across Scottish football this Friday evening:
Rangers land Cerny
Rangers have signed Czech Republic international Vaclav Cerny on a season-long loan from VfL Wolfsburg. The winger, who played once for his country during Euro 2024, will spend the 2024-25 campaign at Ibrox.
“It is a very nice day for me. I am happy to be here and I can’t wait to get started,” the 26-year-old said on the club’s official website. “Obviously from the first talks with the manager, it gave me a very good feeling and from there on I would say it went pretty fast. I was happy about the contact and just couldn’t wait to come down here and be here and experience it all.”
Boss Phillipe Clement added: “I am delighted to welcome Vaclav to the squad, he is an exciting player, with valuable experience in European football. He has already shown his attacking qualities during his time in the Eredivisie and at Wolfsburg and he will further strengthen our attacking options in the squad. I feel as a club and staff we can continue to help him as a player to reach new levels and I am excited to see what the season holds for him at Rangers.”
Cerny played 22 times for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga last term but will already be popular with Rangers supporters after he scored against Celtic while playing for Ajax in the Europa League.
Denholm joins Staggies
Aidan Denholm has joined Ross County on a season-long loan from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts. The 20-year-old midfielder has made 24 appearances for the Tynecastle club but game time was likely to be reduced in the season ahead following the Jambos summer recruitment drive, so he has been allowed to move north to the Staggies. “We are delighted to bring Aidan to the club,” County boss Don Cowie said on his club’s official website. “He joins us with Scottish Premiership and European football experience, yet is still at a young age. Aidan joining gives us real competition in the central midfield area.”
Hearts boss Steven Naismith is adamant Denholm, who was handed a contract until 2026 last September, still has a future at his boyhood club. “It’s a good move for Aidan who will get to work under a top operator in Don Cowie,” Naismith told the Jambos’ website. “Aidan did really well last season to come into the team but to really progress he needs a consistent run of games.
“We have recruited with purpose for our domestic and European campaigns so the opportunities that were there last year may not be there this season. By going to Ross County, Aidan can continue his development by staying in the top flight and staking his case for regular minutes on the pitch. He can then return to Hearts with more experience under his belt and look to push on for a starting place at Tynecastle next season.”
Motherwell close in on striker
Stuart Kettlewell confirmed that Motherwell are close to signing recently-capped Australia forward Apostolos Stamatelopoulos. The Newcastle Jets striker, who scored 17 times in the A-League last season and earned his first Socceroos cap against Palestine last month, has been lined up to fill the void left by Theo Bair, who joined French Ligue 1 side Auxerre for a seven-figure fee last week. However, Kettlewell played down suggestions that the Fir Park club are paying a transfer fee of £260,000 for the 25-year-old.
“Apostolos is traveling over to Scotland just now and I can confirm there is an agreement in place subject to medical,” he said at a press conference on Friday ahead of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup match against Partick Thistle. “His partner was due to give birth on Monday so that has delayed proceedings by a couple of days. He’s someone we have been tracking and following for a while. We would hope if we can get him past that medical in the next day or so, I would love to think he starts to come into the mix and our group right away.
“I don’t want to say too much more than that, but I think it is important that I do confirm the rumours that are out there because I am always dispelling them when I think they are absolute nonsense but this one is accurate, although some of the details in terms of numbers and finances are very inaccurate, I have to say.”
Odada jets in
Dundee United have signed Kenya midfielder Richard Odada from MLS side Philadelphia Union on a two-year contract. The 23-year-old had a spell with Red Star Belgrade earlier in his career before moving to the United States in 2022 and he arrives at Tannadice after spending part of last season on loan at Danish side Aalborg.
United manager Jim Goodwin told the club’s official website: “Richard possesses an ideal balance between technical ability and physicality, both qualities that will significantly improve our midfield. Despite his relative youth, he has varied experience across world football on three continents, something that illustrates versatility and courage to test himself in different environments. Getting him up to speed with the rest of the group is now of paramount importance to ensure he can make the positive impact we anticipate he will during his time at the club.”
Odada is excited about joining United as they prepare to return to the Scottish Premiership next weekend following last season’s Championship title success. “It feels nice to be wearing this shirt, as soon as I heard there was interest at the end of the season I just said ‘make it happen’ to my agent,” he said. “The demands placed on the team both by the fans and ourselves as players are exciting. It’s a mentality I’m happy to work with. I’m looking forward to working hard and giving my best for the club, fans and my team-mates. I’m here to push us on to achieve our goals for the season.”
Idah left out of Norwich match
Adam Idah played no part in Norwich City’s pre-season match against Magdeburg after he was surprisingly left out of the squad. The Irish striker was on loan at Celtic last season and manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to land him on a permanent deal. However, he has so far played a part in the Canaries’ pre-season under their new manager Johannes Hoff Thorup.
The suggestion is that Idah has missed the game against the Germans due to a minor injury, although his absence has boosted hopes for some Celtic fans that he could be on his way back to Parkhead.
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