Scottish Premiership Transfer News
We will provide you with up date transfer comings and goings along with some rumours throughout the season.
Summer 2019/20 Scottish Premiership Transfer News
Aberdeen FC - Derek McInnes and his staff have a rebuilding job on their hands after losing key players in Graeme Shinnie to Derby and potentially Gary Mackay-Steven to the MLS. A number of loanees are returning to their parent clubs and look to sign up elsewhere. Will they have a potential cash influx with a 25% sell on fee for Ryan Fraser and Scott McKenna worth around 6 million in the English market. A new stadium to pay for may see this money put a side but Stewart Milne has vowed to back his manager this summer in the wake of him turning down the opportunity to speak to Scotland about the managers job. The rumours have been circulating of Curtis Mains impending arrival from Motherwell and Ash Taylor making a return from Northampton but I can't imagine this will fill the Aberdeen fans with much excitement. However the signing of Barnsley and Welsh internationalist Ryan Hedges might get them off their seat slightly more albeit still an unknown quantity.
Celtic FC - Neil Lennon has just been appointed the manager on the standard 12 month rolling contract and like McInnes he has a a bit of a rebuild job to do this summer. It may sound strange for a team who just completed the historic treble treble but the squad is in need of 6 or 7 players. Leigh Griffiths imminent return will be a huge boost to Lennon heading in to the gruelling Champions League qualifiers. Not many rumours have been circulating as of yet but one deal that could be done is for David Turnbull, 15 goals and 5 assists in the league last year could be seen as shrewd business from Celtic but I'm sure Alan Burrows will have something to say on the fee. One in and one out as Olivier Ntcham could make way for Turnbull with several French clubs interested and Porto a long term admirer of the midfielder, however his price will be a lot lower than the 15 million reportedly offered last summer after and injury ravaged season.
Hamilton Accies - Brian Rice won over the fans by securing Premiership football again for next season. An appointment from left field to take an assistant coach from the team below them in the league but so far it has proven a very shrewd move. A lot of out goings as always down at Hamilton but they have secured four signings so far in Brian Easton, Ciaran McKenna, Johnny Hunt and Markus Fjortoft. They are rumoured to be interested in Owain Fon-Williams from Inverness along with team mate Aaron Doran who are both well known to Rice from his time working with John Hughes.
Hearts - Craig Levein will feel relatively happy with his squad after a major revamp last summer. They started the season on fire but had a horrendous second half of the season due to injuries. If he can get everyone fit and Naismith tied down then I would imagine he would be relatively confident on the back of the cup final going in to the new season. A central midfielder to replace Arnaud Djoum will be the main priority. Craig Halkett will arrive from Livingston to provide much needed competition in the central defensive area.
Hibernian FC- Another club who will be making major changes in the summer under the guidance of Paul Heckingbottom and Robbie Stockdale. The head of recruitment Graeme Mathie will be working hard behind the scenes to unearth some more gems in the mould of Kamberi, Omeonga and McNulty. Daryl Horgan has hit some very good form under the new manager and will be hoping to kick on from the start of next season. Adam Jackson a central defender from Barnsley has arrived which will add to the already solid pairing of Hanlon and McGregor. Scott Allan will join on July 1st and will hope he can recapture the form of his last two spells at the club.
Kilmarnock - European football awaits the new manager at the helm in Ayrshire this season and a new artificial surface as well. The majority of the squad are signed up for the coming season with Kris Boyd, Youssouf Mulumbu and Aaron Tishbola the main absentees. Billy Bowie has said he is looking for an experienced manager to get the best out of a group of players who have hit metoric heights under Steve Clark. Around 3 to 4 players is all that would be needed for Kilmarnock providing they hang on to assets such as Brophy, Taylor and O'Donnell.
Livingston- Gary Holt will no doubt be interested in the Kilmarnock job but given Bowie's comments about looking for an experienced manager then I would imagine he will be in the hot seat at the Tony Macaroni arena next season. He already has Lyndon Dykes coming in from Queen of the South and Marvin Bartley from Livingston which will add some very good experience. Dykes is more raw but will prove an asset from what I've seen of him for QOTS. Losing Halkett to Hearts and Gallagher to Motherwell leaves only Alan Lithgow left of the mean defence that has taken them from league 1 to the premiership. Reinforcements will be needed in the defence and I feel it will be difficult for them to replace them with similar quality.
Motherwell-Stephen Robinson has been a busy man already making five signings. Declan Gallagher from Livingston, Jake Carroll from Cambridge, Casper Sloth from Silkeborg, Liam Polworth from ICT and Jermaine Hylton from Solihull. Robinson has stressed how difficult the market is as he is often outbid by even Conference sides down south but he will be hoping he can unearth a few gems and push back in to the top six this season. A number of players have left the building and Chris Cadden future is still up in the air and he is one they will hoping they can hold on to a long with David Turnbull.
Rangers FC- Steven Gerrard and Mark Allen will no doubt have targets in mind and will look to get business done early to prepare for another crack at the Europa League. A number of signings have been confirmed with Steven Davis, Jake Hastie, Jordan Jones and Greg Stewart all but sealed. Rangers fans will expect a couple of more established players in particular a central defender to partner Goldson or Katic. A left back may be on the agenda and Gerrard has apparently spoken to his Auld Enemy Frank Lampard over the possibility of Max Lowe, Aberdeen want him on loan again but Rangers may be able to offer money and a permanent deal. McInnes will be hoping old pal Jody Morris (Derby assistant manager) will prevent this deal going through but ultimately Derby are looking to raise money after recently being scrutinised over Financial Fair Play regulations. Alfredo Morelos has continually been linked with a move away from the club but most sources at the club say it would take around 15-20 million to start a conversation of selling him this summer. Other players have been told they can leave like Dorrans and Lafferty. Another interesting summer ahead for Rangers and the fans will be hoping they assemble a squad capable of stopping the dreaded ten in a row.
Ross County- The dynamic duo of Ferguson and Kettlewell will be the first permanent co managers in the league since Gerry Britton and Derek Whyte at Partick Thistle. They have secured the cultured left foot of Joe Chalmers from rivals Inverness and recently replaced the reliable Scott Fox with Ross Laidlaw from Hibs. They will be hoping Billy McKay is fit for pre season and will look to add a number of new faces to compete in the top league. The chairman has always backed his managers and I'm sure he will do the same again this season.
St Johnstone - So far a bit quiet at the Saints, more budget cuts apparently for Tommy Wright to contend with and his team have went backwards in the last year or two. Captain Joe Shaughnessy will depart with Aberdeen a potential destination and Tony Watt has signed with Bulgarian outfit CSKA Sofia. Jason Kerr, Matt Kennedy and Zander Clark were the real shining lights on a mediocre season and they will be hoping they can hang on to these three going in to next year.
St Mirren- Oran Kearney's future is still up in the air despite surviving the play off against Dundee United. According to sources at the club the board are very split over the performance of the manager and the amount of time he has spent over in Ireland since taking on the job. The arrival of Jimmy Nicholl seemed to spur the club on and his depature to Dundee to take up a role with James McPake may show signs that its the end for Kearney. Gus McPherson will be working hard in the background to find reinforcements for next year to avoid the shambles that was Alan Stubbs reign as manager. The recruitment was so poor in the summer after such a successful season where they only really lost one player they wanted to keep in Lewis Morgan. The man of the moment Hladky will probably not be back as he is rumoured to be interesting some big clubs which is no surprise given his form since arriving in january.