Celtic deals collapse as £17m Rangers transfer beckons with double Ibrox arrival on cards
· Matthew Elder · 2026-07-18 · nguồn gốc
Celtic deals collapse as £17m Rangers transfer beckons with double Ibrox arrival on cards
Here is the latest Old Firm transfer news and speculation
Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin is reportedly closing in on an £17million transfer to Villarreal.
According to reports in Spain, the La Liga club are set to win the race to sign the 25-year-old, who impressed for Belgium at the World Cup this summer.
Hull City saw a bid rejected earlier in the transfer window but Rangers are now prepared to accept the offer from the Spanish club to bring an end to Raskin's three-and-a-half year spell at Ibrox.
That money looks set to be immediately reinvested with two midfielders lined up to bolster Derek McInnes' squad.
A £6.6million deal for Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl is reportedly still on the cards with the player said to have his heart set on a move to Glasgow despite interest from Besiktas and Cardiff City.
A £4million move for Partizan Belgrade captain Vanja Dragojevic is also nearing completion with reports indicating that the 20-year-old is on his way to Ibrox. Partizan boss Sasa Ilic has already wished his departing skipper well as he prepares to complete his move to Scotland.
He said: "Our previous captain Vanja has now left us and I wish him all the best in his future career.
"Every coach in the world wants as many quality players as possible to increase the competition, but it depends on the possibilities and certain things within the club.
"I hope that we will bring in a few more names who will bring extra class, which is much needed after his departure."
Celtic deals collapse
Meanwhile, Marcelo Saracchi claimed he did everything possible to secure a return to Celtic after he quickly followed Kelechi Iheanacho in deciding his time in Glasgow was over.
The left-back wrote a farewell message to Celtic supporters after accepting there was no prospect of him returning following a loan spell from Boca Juniors.
The Uruguayan made 27 appearances for Celtic and played a key part in the goal from Daizen Maeda which effectively clinched the Premiership title for the champions against Hearts.
Manager Martin O’Neill had spoken of his desire to re-sign Saracchi but the player hinted that no offer from the club surfaced.
In a message to Celtic fans on his verified Instagram account, Saracchi said: “I’m writing this to say goodbye. We had an intense, beautiful year together where we achieved so many of our goals.
“My agent and I did absolutely everything within our power to make a return to Glasgow happen. I’m truly gutted that I won’t be able to continue at the club at this stage of my career.
“However, I know our paths will cross again in the future. I wish you all nothing but the best for what’s ahead. Thank you for everything.”
The news came hours after Celtic lost out to Bursaspor over Iheanacho.
O’Neill had revealed he wanted to re-sign the 29-year-old after he helped them to the double during an injury-affected season – and claimed both Iheanacho and Saracchi were keen to stay.
But Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor announced the signing of the Nigeria international and paraded him in their own green and white hoops.
The former Manchester City and Leicester striker hit nine goals for Celtic last season after joining as a free agent after the summer transfer window closed.
He missed a chunk of the season with a hamstring injury and only started two games after October but scored six goals off the bench as Celtic won their final nine games to clinch the double.
Celtic have since signed Colombian striker Camilo Duran but remain short of centre-forward options ahead of the new season amid uncertainty over the future of Maeda, who is entering the final year of his contract.
The Parkhead club have also bid farewell to defender Maik Nawrocki, who has joined Ligue 1 runners-up Lens. The Polish centre-back spent last season on loan at German 2. Bundesliga club Hannover 96 but moves to France on a permanent transf
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