Connect with us

World

Celtic and Rangers need homegrown talent for Europe and 6 Scots fit the bill

Published

on

Celtic and Rangers need homegrown talent for Europe and 6 Scots fit the bill

Celtic and Rangers will scour the globe for new signings this summer. But the Old Firm giants should also be looking closer to home.

As the years progress and the need to appease fans with big-money captures intensifies, fewer and fewer youngsters are coming through the ranks at Lennoxtown and Auchenhowie. Aside from Gers kid Ross McCausland and, to an extent, Celts prospect Daniel Kelly this season, the pathway for Scotland’s next generation of talent has been blocked by an influx of expensive imports from foreign leagues.




And that has now presented a major challenge for Glasgow’s big two when it comes to meeting UEFA’s homegrown rules which states that clubs must include eight club-trained or association-trained players in a named 25-man squad. Rangers stumbled upon that selection headache last season when Michael Beale was forced to omit several first-team players from his European squad – much to the frustration of successor Philippe Clement.

Now, as both clubs prepare to splash out again this summer, their transfer business could be influenced by the governing body’s quota requirements as they look to go far in their European adventures – with Celtic already guaranteed Champions League football. In the long-term, there must be a greater emphasis on youths being given fair opportunities at Celtic Park and Ibrox, but in the short-term, both clubs may look at other ready-made Scots who are capable of hitting the ground running.

Of course, there’s an abundance of homegrown talent currently playing in the Premiership but we’d rather not upset fans of those SPFL clubs by touting them for moves elsewhere. So with that in mind, we’ve cherry-picked six Scots currently playing outwith the cinch who should be on the Old Firm’s radar.

Josh Doig

The former Hibs left-back was linked with a January move to Rangers but no official offer was tabled. It’s unlikely the Ibrox club would’ve been able to afford him anyway as he eventually completed a £5million move to Sassuolo after Hellas Verona pulled the plug on a switch to Marseille. But the gamble of moving to a relegation-threatened team has unfortunately backfired as his new club were relegated to Serie B after 11 consecutive seasons in the top-flight. Having established himself as one of the standout full-backs in Serie A since making the move from Easter Road in 2022, it’s unlikely ambitious Doig will want to ply his trade in Italy’s second-tier. The uncapped Scot probably won’t be short of options this summer either as a number of clubs in Europe keep tabs on his progress. Celtic and Rangers will likely be among those as both clubs are in the market for left-backs and given Doig’s age, the 22-year-old is a perfect fit for the Old Firm’s recruitment policy.

Stuart Armstrong

File Armstrong to Rangers in the unlikely category. While stranger things have happened, it’s unlikely the former Celtic Treble-winner will cross the Glasgow divide. Out-of-contract at Southampton, the Scotland playmaker looks set to move elsewhere after six years at St Mary’s. The ex-Dundee United star played arguably the best football of his career under Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead and the Hoops boss may have his eye on the 32-year-old as a free transfer as he looks to bolster his midfield options. Matt O’Riley will almost certainly break the Scottish transfer record as big clubs including Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan circle and although he wouldn’t be a direct replacement, experienced Armstrong would definitely add experience and quality to the middle of the park.

Calvin Ramsay

The Scotland cap’s development over the past year or so has been derailed by injury after undergoing knee surgery. The young right-back, 20, has made a handful of appearances at Liverpool since joining from Aberdeen two years ago but has endured frustrating loan stints with Preston North End and Bolton Wanderers this season. With Jurgen Klopp departing Liverpool, the ex-Aberdeen sensation faces a major task attempting to impress incoming boss Arne Slot, who will likely have his eye on a raft of new signings. Brought in as an understudy to the world-class Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ramsay won’t be commanding a starting slot at Anfield anytime soon and another loan or permanent parting of ways could be on the cards. The 2021-22 SFWA Player of the Year possesses incredible potential and with question marks hanging over James Tavernier, a move to Ibrox might not be beyond the realms of possibility. Similarly, Celts could do with some competition at right-back for Alistair Johnston, although they do have Anthony Ralston on the books.

Continue Reading