Celtic and Rangers transfer preview: Edouard, McCann, Morelos and Barisic latest

With less than 24 hours to go, the two rivals are expected to be working away in the background to get the Is dotted and the Ts crossed to get one or two last-minute deals over the line. And there is still time for a few significant ins and outs to take place before this season’s squads are finalised.

Celtic look to be the busier of the two rivals going into the final day of frenetic form-filling, and there are a few sizeable question marks hanging over the squad. An agreement has been reached with VVV-Venlo’s Greek centre-forward Georgios Giakoumakis and a deal isn’t too far away, while Benfica winger Filipe Jota is also believed to be on Postecoglou’s wishlist.

The addition of the latter would help to fill out the squad in the wide areas – an issue that was apparent in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Rangers, where Kyogo Furuhashi was shifted out to the left. The imminent arrival of Giakoumakis, meanwhile, would suggest that Odsonne Edouard’s time in Glasgow is drawing to a close.

Should these two players arrive (and Edouard heads for the exit at Parkhead), Postecoglou can be reasonably happy with his midfield and defence. The likes of James Forrest, Ryan Christie, Mikey Johnston and Liel Abada leave Postecoglou with plenty of options out wide while through the middle Tom Rogic, Ismaila Soro and James McCarthy can provide competition for Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Ryan Christie.

Christie is another whose future is up in the air and with the Scotland internationalist’s contract expiring in January, Celtic may find a bid for the playmaker’s services difficult to turn down. The 26-year-old, who has reportedly caught the eye of Ligue 1 side Monaco, would be a loss due to his versatility, and his potential departure could leave the Premiership runners-up a little short at the back.

Things are a little less cut-and-dry at the back. With four goalkeepers currently on the books at Parkhead, it would be no surprise to see Vasilis Barkas or Connor Hazard move on. Celtic may be tempted to cut their losses with the former but finding a buyer could be tricky – especially if the board are keen on recouping a significant chunk of the £4.5million it cost to prize the Greek away from AEK Athens last summer. Hazard, meanwhile, could be shipped out on loan after slipping down the Parkhead pecking order.

Central defence is probably where Celtic’s squad looks weakest on paper at present, but further arrivals are unlikely. Carl Starfelt was brought in at great expense and will surely be a first-team regular this season, while Christopher Jullien is certain to return to the starting XI once he returns to fitness. With Stephen Welsh filling in in the Frenchman’s absence and the additions of Liam Scales and Osaze Urhoghide, Postecoglou appears to be putting his faith in youth in this department.

Last-minute departures seem unlikely with the exception of Boli Bolingoli, the left-back who was shipped out to Turkey on loan after breaching Covid guidelines at the start of last season. His exit would leave Postecoglou short of a back-up left-back, though, and the Australian could be forced into the market to find a new one if Bolingoli moves on.

Things are a little calmer across the city at Ibrox but there is still plenty of room for manoeuvre for Steven Gerrard and his staff. The squad, as it currently stands, is largely fine and any late additions are likely to be the result of others being sold.

Borna Barisic looks the most likely candidate to depart Ibrox after the Croatian appeared to tearfully wave goodbye to the Rangers fans in the aftermath of Sunday’s Old Firm win. Calvin Bassey, his understudy, has impressed so far this term and could be ready to take up the mantle of first-choice left-back, but Rangers would likely have to go into the market to find another left-sided defender to fill out the squad. On the opposite flank, Nathan Patterson is believed to have been the subject of two failed bids from Everton but looks to be staying around unless Rangers receive an offer that’s too good to turn down.

Glen Kamara is another who is believed to be attracting admirers, and the Finn’s composed and mature performances at this summer’s delayed European Championships will have only bumped up Rangers’ asking price for the 26-year-old. Replacing Kamara’s composure on the ball is no simple task but should the playmaker depart Ibrox, a replacement would be required. St Johnstone midfielder Ali McCann is a rumoured target and could fill the hole in the squad.

Further forward, speculation continues to surround Alfredo Morelos. To the outsider, though, it feels as though Rangers have been preparing for the striker’s departure for quite some time. With Cedric Itten, Fashion Sakala and Kemar Roofe all vying for the centre-forward position at Ibrox, no replacement would be required should Rangers decided to cash in on the Colombian. Rangers’ business model demands that they will eventually have to sell a player for a healthy profit, and Morelos seems to be the most likely candidate.

Ryan Kent is another who was attracting attention from Leeds United earlier this summer but the Premier League club’s interest appears to have waned in recent weeks. The same could be said of Ianis Hagi, who is another outside bet to be moved on before the window closes. Both are first-team regulars and would require immediate (and probably expensive) replacements, but both appear to be sticking around for the time being.