Scottish transfers: Celtic target £17m winger, multiple Rangers exits on cards, Hearts field enquiries for defender

Celtic have been linked with a new name in their bid to sign a replacement for Jota while Rangers are looking to send some of their up and coming young stars out on loan...

Celtic want Wolves winger

Celtic are interested in signing winger Daniel Podence from Wolves and are hoping to negotiate a cut-price fee, according to reports. The 27-year-old has scored 16 goals in just over 100 appearances for the Molineux side since completing a £17m move from Olympiacos in 2020. However, the Portugal international was left out of the matchday squad for new season opener at Manchester United on Monday evening and is available for transfer as Wolves look to balance the books. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers watched Podence up close during his time managing Leicester in the EPL and has been credited with showing an interest in taking the star to Parkhead. Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph tweeted: "Celtic are keen on Wolves winger Daniel Podence. He has one year left on his contract & wasn’t included in the squad last night. Wolves want around £12m, but it’s understood Celtic see room for negotiation, if they make an approach.”

Dons braced for Duk bids

Celtic target Daniel Podence in action for Wolves last season. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Aberdeen are braced for bids for striker Duk with four English Championship clubs reportedly eyeing up a move before the end of the transfer window. The 23-year-old scored 18 goals in a blistering first season at Pittodrie following his 2022 summer move from Benfica and, according to reports down south, Leeds United and Southampton are leading the race for the Cape Verde international having sent scouts to watch him in action during the Dons' 3-1 loss to Celtic on Sunday. Duk is under contract until 2025 so would be sure to earn Aberdeen a healthy seven-figure fee, but boss Barry Robson will not want his star man sold before the club's Europa League play-off against either BK Hacken or Zalgiris Vilnius later this month having already lost Ylber Ramadani and Ross McCrorie to Lecce and Bristol City respectively.

Rangers set for multiple departures

Rangers are preparing to send four academy players out on loan this summer after withdrawing their B team from the Lowland League. The Daily Record report that James Graham, Mackenzie Strachan and Robbie Fraser will all depart with clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two showing interest. Josh McPake is now in the final year of his contract and could go on loan again after spending last season with Queen's Park. Meanwhile, reports claim that Leeds United could make their move for Glen Kamara this week as a result of Tyler Adams’ impending move to Bournemouth. According to Football Scotland, the Elland Road side hope to land Kamara from Rangers before Friday's clash with West Brom as a replacement for the departing American internationalist. Another possible departure from Ibrox is goalkeeper Robby McCrorie with the Herald claiming that Manchester United are considering a surprise move for the Scotland call-up. Rangers, it is claimed, would look to secure a £1m fee for the 25-year-old, who broke into the first-team at the end of last season but has had to settle for a place on the bench at the start of this term following the summer arrival of Jack Butland.

Hearts field enquiries for defender

Toby Sibbick has insisted he is happy at Hearts amid transfer interest from England. Blackpool had a bid rejected for the 24-year-old in January, and there have been further enquiries for the centre-back this summer. However, Sibbick has stressed he is not looking to engineer a move away from Tynecastle Park. “Ultimately, it’s not down to me. I don’t really make the decisions,” he told the Edinburgh Evening News. “I don’t pay too much mind to it because my agent deals with that. Obviously, we have conversations every now and again, but nothing has come up so far. I’m happy here. If I wasn’t happy here then I would probably be gone by now.

“As a player, there will always be some sort of talk around your future. It’s nice that other clubs want me but, at the end of the day, it’s down to me. I just need to keep working hard and do what I do. I don’t pay too much attention to talks going on.”