Celtic and Rangers Prepare for Major Attacking Changes

The Glasgow giants are braced for a significant reshuffle in their forward lines, with Celtic closing in on Kasper Høgh and Daizen Maeda heading for the exit, while Rangers striker Danilo prepares to relaunch his career in Brazil.

Celtic move for Høgh as Maeda nears exit

Celtic’s pursuit of Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Høgh has moved into the decisive phase. The Scottish champions have held talks with the Norwegian club over a deal for the 25-year-old Dane, who is valued at around £7m, and all signs now point towards a move.

On Thursday night, Bodo/Glimt cruised to a 3-0 win over HamKam. Høgh never left the bench. On a normal night, that might barely register. On this one, with Celtic circling and the player long on their radar since January, it felt like a tell.

While one forward edges closer to Glasgow, another is already halfway out the door. Daizen Maeda arrived in London on Thursday to undergo a medical ahead of a £10m switch to Ipswich Town. The Japan international, 28, looks set to have his departure from Celtic confirmed on Friday, a move that would carve open both a tactical gap and a space on the wage bill for Brendan Rodgers to reshape his front line.

The rebuild will not stop there. Celtic’s recruitment team are working on several fronts, but they are encountering resistance in Germany. Paderborn have rejected a £4m offer for 22-year-old midfielder Mika Baur and are standing firm on their valuation. The newly promoted Bundesliga side are even prepared to let Baur run down his contract and leave for free next summer rather than cash in below their price.

Celtic are also casting admiring glances towards Serie A. Interest has been registered in Lazio pair Gustav Isaksen, a 25-year-old striker, and 24-year-old winger Matteo Cancellieri, as the champions look to inject pace and variety into their attacking options.

Between the posts, the club’s search for a new goalkeeper has taken them to La Liga. Las Palmas want more than £4.3m plus a sell-on clause for 27-year-old Dinko Horkas, a figure that underlines how costly even speculative upgrades have become at the top end of the European market.

West Ham eye Glasgow defensive steel

The Premier League has also turned its gaze towards Scotland’s central defenders. West Ham United have placed Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate and Rangers centre-half John Souttar on their summer radar, along with Souttar’s brother Harry, the Australia and Leicester City defender.

It is the kind of interest that underlines the growing respect for the Scottish game as a marketplace. It also threatens to strip two of the country’s biggest clubs of key figures in the spine of their teams if serious offers arrive.

Danilo back to Brazil as Milan close on Rangers target

Across the city, Rangers are preparing to part ways, at least temporarily, with Danilo. The 27-year-old striker has arrived in Brazil and is due to undergo a medical on Friday ahead of a loan move to Botafogo. For a player whose time in Glasgow has been punctured by injury and inconsistency, the switch offers a fresh start and Rangers some breathing space on their wage bill.

Rangers also look set to miss out on one of their defensive targets. AC Milan are closing in on an agreement with Troyes for 20-year-old centre-back Sankhoun Diawara, a player who had attracted interest from both the Ibrox club and Basel. When Milan come calling, the outcome rarely needs much explanation.

Young talent on the move – and under siege

Beyond Glasgow, the talent drain and talent hunt continue across the Scottish game.

Mikey Moore, back at Tottenham Hotspur after a loan spell with Rangers, has already made his presence felt in pre-season. The 18-year-old winger played the second half of Spurs’ 1-0 friendly win over MK Dons and spoke of being “buzzing to be back”, crediting his time in Scotland with making him a better player. His short spell north of the border may already be paying off for his parent club.

At the other end of the pyramid, Forest Green Rovers are poised for a financial windfall. Manager Robbie Savage has confirmed the National League side will collect a record fee, potentially rising close to seven figures, if 29-year-old midfielder Laurent Mendy agrees personal terms with Heart of Midlothian. For Hearts, it is a statement of intent; for Forest Green, a transformative deal.

Aberdeen, meanwhile, are pushing to bring in 21-year-old centre-back Jadel Katongo from Kayserispor. Talks have been opened, with sources in Turkey confirming the interest, but the financial package required is making any agreement extremely difficult. The Dons know exactly what they want; paying for it is another matter.

Dundee United are stuck in a different kind of limbo. The Tannadice club are still waiting on Major League Soccer to sign off the loan of 21-year-old left-back Philippe Ndinga from Philadelphia Union. Until the paperwork clears across the Atlantic, their plans remain on hold.

Manager Jim Goodwin has a more immediate battle on his hands. He has vowed to “fight tooth and nail” to keep Lorenzo Sassetti at the club after the forward became United’s youngest ever player on Tuesday at just 15. Several Serie A and English top-flight clubs are tracking the teenager. United have given him his debut; now they must convince him his future lies in Dundee, not Milan or Manchester.

European subplots and absentees

On the continental front, Rangers have been handed a small boost before a ball is even kicked in Europa League qualifying. Jagiellonia Bialystok have confirmed that United States midfielder AZ Jackson has refused to return to Poland for pre-season after spending the second half of last season on loan at Vancouver Whitecaps. The 24-year-old will not feature against Rangers in Europe, stripping the Polish champions of a creative option in midfield.

From Glasgow to Dundee, from London to Las Palmas and back again, the market is moving fast. Strikers are flying out, replacements are being lined up, teenagers are being chased by Europe’s elite, and English clubs are circling Scotland’s best.

The only real question now is which of these deals land in time to shape the season, and which come too late to change anything at all.