Celtic signing set for Monday medical as Rangers 'turn down' offer for first-team player

Rapid Vienna winger Nicolas Kuhn (left) is set to become Celtic's first signing of the January transfer window. (Photo by Carsten Harz/Getty Images)

German winger to arrive at Parkhead but no departure agreed for Ibrox defender

Celtic are expected to complete their first signing of the January transfer window this week with the arrival of winger Nicolas Kuhn from Rapid Vienna.

The Parkhead side have reached agreement with the Austrian club over a £3m deal plus add-ons for the 24-year-old German whose progress they have tracked over a number of months. Kuhn is set to undergo a medical in London on Monday before arriving in Glasgow to put pen to paper on a four-year contract until the summer of 2028 ahead of joining up with his new team-mates. He arrives match fit having scored three goals and contributed seven assists in 22 appearances for Rapid this season and could make his debut in the Scottish Cup against Buckie Thistle on Saturday.

Kuhn came through the RB Leipzig youth ranks before earning a 2 million euros move to Ajax at the age of 18. He played for the Amsterdam side's second team before being signed by Bayern Munich, initially on loan, in 2020. The left-footed attacker, who represented Germany at every youth level up to Under-20s, was a regular in Bayern’s second team until 2022 when he made the move to Austria. His performances for Germany at the Under-17 World Cup held in India in 2017 led to him being labelled the "next Messi" by the German press.

Kuhn is unlikely to be the only new arrival at Celtic Park this month with at least two more recruits expected after manager Brendan Rodgers emphasised the need to add quality to his squad. Several departures are also expected with Celtic having already transferred Japanese midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi to Vissel Kobe while South Korean Kwon Hyeok-kyu has joined St Mirren on loan. Swedish centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke is the subject of transfer interest from Italy while youngster Rocco Vata is in talks over a move to Bologna ahead of his contract expiring in the summer.

Meanwhile, Rangers have reportedly turned down an offer from Galatasaray for left-back Ridvan Yilmaz. The Turkish outfit wanted to sign their countryman on loan with an option to buy in the region of £3.4m but the Ibrox club have rejected the terms. The 22-year-old, who joined Rangers from Besiktas for £5m in 2022, has also been linked with Hellas Verona.