Lewis Ferguson to Rangers? Final Agreement REPORTED as Ibrox Set for Stunning Midfield
Another day brings another glut of transfer stories as clubs across Scotland scramble to get their business finalised before the new season gets under way, and today it’s Hearts and Celtic dominating the headlines, alongside a fresh update on Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson amid his continuing links to Rangers. Here’s a rundown of the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip circulating throughout the Scottish Premiership.
Hearts appear to be closing in on the signing of French midfielder Laurent Mendy, with the Tynecastle club having agreed a fee in the region of £500,000 with Forest Green Rovers for his services. The move is seen very much as a replacement signing for Cammy Devlin, who recently departed Hearts to join Rangers, leaving a gap in central midfield that Gorgie’s recruitment team have been working to fill. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Mendy’s name has been linked with a move to Tynecastle — the 29-year-old was reportedly close to sealing a switch back in January before that deal fell through, only for Hearts to rekindle their interest as the summer window progressed and a move now appears imminent. With Hearts currently based in Austria as they prepare for their Champions League second qualifying round first leg against Sturm Graz, head coach Wouter Vrancken was asked for the latest on the Mendy situation and offered a fairly measured response regarding the realistic timeline for any deal to be completed. “I think it’s more realistic to think it will be after the Sturm Graz game to be possible to play,” the Belgian said. “I think it’s a type of profile that is more of a defensive midfielder, a six actually, profile-wise – but it’s up to the club and him to find some agreement. And if it’s not then there are other players.” That measured tone from Vrancken suggests Hearts aren’t putting all their eggs in one basket regarding Mendy specifically, even if he remains the clear frontrunner to fill the defensive midfield role vacated by Devlin’s departure to Ibrox.
Elsewhere, in-demand Scotland international Lewis Ferguson has returned to pre-season training with his Italian Serie A club Bologna, a fairly routine development on the surface but one that carries considerable subtext given the swirling speculation surrounding his long-term future. Ferguson was widely regarded as one of Scotland’s standout performers during the recent World Cup, a tournament that only served to enhance his growing reputation and, inevitably, the level of transfer interest now being directed his way. Reports suggest he’s attracting attention from elsewhere within Italian football, while Rangers have also been strongly linked with a big-money move designed to bring the former Aberdeen captain back to Scottish football. Despite his undoubted quality and his status as Bologna’s club captain, Ferguson didn’t feature as prominently as many might have expected last season under previous head coach Vincenzo Italiano, and with a change in the Bologna dugout now having taken place, it remains to be seen exactly where his long-term future lies. For now, though, reports in Italy indicate Ferguson was back in training with Bologna on Monday, undergoing a personalised training session designed to prepare him for the rigours of the pre-season programme ahead — a sign, at the very least, that he’s continuing to work within the club’s structure regardless of the transfer speculation swirling around him.
Motherwell forward Elijah Just looks set to be on the move, with his switch to Championship side Swansea City expected to be confirmed shortly after the New Zealand international underwent his medical with the Welsh club. Swansea are reportedly hopeful that Just will be able to join up with the first-team squad at their pre-season training camp in Austria once the formalities of the move are completed, following an agreed fee believed to be in the region of £5million. That represents a significant fee for a forward moving down from Scottish football into the English Championship, and it’s a reflection of the profile Just built for himself during a standout World Cup campaign, in which he scored three goals for his country and considerably raised his stock among clubs monitoring his situation. Motherwell, for their part, have already moved to address the gap left by Just’s expected departure, bringing in Burton Albion defender Dylan Williams to bolster their squad. Williams could potentially make his debut for the Fir Park club as early as Thursday, when Motherwell face HB Torshavn in the Conference League.
Celtic’s transfer business continues to be a source of considerable discussion among supporters, with the Parkhead club remaining keenly interested in Oviedo’s Egyptian winger Haissem Hassan, who is expected to leave the Spanish club within the next month. Hassan, valued in the region of £10million, represented Egypt at the World Cup and appears primed for a summer departure following Oviedo’s relegation from La Liga last season. Current Oviedo boss Julian Calero is reportedly bracing himself for a summer of turnover as the club looks to give youth its chance following relegation, a dynamic that could work in Celtic’s favour as they look to negotiate a fee for the winger. Hassan is being viewed as a potential replacement for Daizen Maeda within Celtic’s forward line, with the Japanese international himself subject to interest from Ipswich Town this summer. To this point, Celtic have made just one confirmed signing during the current transfer window, bringing in Colombian forward Camilo Duran from Azerbaijani side Qarabag, though the club are also reportedly showing interest in Bodo/Glimt forward Kasper Hogh as they continue to explore reinforcements for their attacking options.
Away from incoming transfer business, former Celtic defender Maik Nawrocki has offered a candid reflection on his time at Parkhead following his departure for French side Lens last week, which brought an end to a three-year spell in Glasgow during which the Polish centre-half largely found himself on the periphery of the first-team picture. Taking to Instagram to address his exit, Nawrocki struck a largely grateful tone while also hinting at some frustrations from his time at the club. “Dear Celts, unfortunately, my time at the club has come to an end. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this huge club,” he wrote. “To work every day in such a special environment like Celtic, to experience the atmosphere at Celtic Park week by week and to represent this club in one of the biggest derbies in the world is something I will always be thankful for.” However, he was also notably candid about aspects of his time at the club that didn’t sit entirely comfortably with him, adding: “At the same time, there were moments and decisions that I would have preferred to be handled differently, both on and off the pitch.” He concluded his message on a warmer note, thanking supporters, teammates and staff for making him feel welcome throughout his spell in Glasgow. “Nevertheless, I always gave everything I had and tried to help the team whenever I had the chance. A big thank you to all the fans, my teammates and the staff members. I always felt loved and respected by all of you and I will always be grateful for that. I wish everyone at the club all the best and every success in the future.”
Finally, on the contract front, St Johnstone defender Bozo Mikulic has agreed a new two-year deal with the McDiarmid Park club, a significant show of faith given the difficult season the 29-year-old centre-half has just endured. Mikulic made just a single appearance for Saints last season having suffered an ACL injury, but head coach Simo Valakari has evidently retained confidence in the Croatian defender as the club prepares for its return to the Premiership. Speaking about his new contract and his recovery from injury, Mikulic reflected on what had clearly been a testing period in his career. “I’m happy,” he said. “There is just real happiness for everything that is next. What I came through last season with the injury was the worst period of my career. It felt like the worst scenario for me, for any player. But now my body has been feeling very good.” He went on to express his gratitude for the fresh opportunity now presented to him, along with genuine optimism about St Johnstone’s prospects heading into the new campaign. “I’m very thankful for this chance. There is great excitement to be back in the Scottish Premiership. We have great characters and boys in our dressing room who are ready to build on the momentum of what happened last season.”
Taken together, these stories paint a picture of a Scottish transfer window continuing to move at pace across multiple clubs simultaneously, from Hearts addressing a specific midfield need created by Devlin’s departure, to Celtic weighing up significant investment in their forward line, to smaller but no less meaningful developments like Mikulic’s new deal offering a reminder that not every transfer story involves incoming or outgoing business, but sometimes simply a player and club recommitting to one another after a difficult period. With the season opener now fast approaching for clubs across the division, further movement in all of these situations looks likely over the coming days and weeks.
