Celtic linked with ‘closely followed’ winger as Rangers title-winner still looking for new club

Celtic got their Champions League group stage campaign off to a disappointing start after going down 2-0 to Dutch champions Feyenoord last night, while Rangers are getting preprared to to face Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the summer window may have closed at the beginning of September but clubs are still able to sign players who are free agents and searching for their next move. A Serbian international has emerged as a free transfer target for Celtic, while a former Rangers winger is still without a new club.

Here are the latest Celtic and Rangers transfer news headlines on Wednesday, September 20:

Celtic linked with ‘closely followed’ Serbian winger

Celtic have been linked with free agent Nemanja Jovic after the former Partizan Belgrade winger was released from his contract with the Serbian outfit following a legal dispute, according to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo.

The same publication report that a host of European clubs are now chasing the 21-year-old’s signature - one of those being the Scottish Champions. However, they face strong competition, with Swiss side Basel already tabling an offer and Spanish club Rayo Vallecano also keen.

Jovic is also attracting English Premier League interest with Aston Villa, West Ham and Sheffield United monitoring the player’s situation. Capped two times for the Serbian national team, despite being born in Bosnia & Herzegovina, he made 74 league appearances and scored 10 goals during a three-year spell at Partizan.

Celtic are already well-stocked on either flank following the additions of Luis Palma and Yang Hyun-jun to supplement Daizen Maeda, the injured Liel Abada, Mikey Johnston and James Forrest.

However, Rodgers could dip into the market to look for some much-needed cover for Israeli Abada who has been ruled out long-term with a thigh injury.

Rangers title-winner still looking for new club

Brandon Barker - a member of Steven Gerrard’s title-winning Rangers squad of 2021 - remains on the hunt for a new club almost three weeks after the transfer window slammed shut.

The 26-year-old winger, who came through Manchester City’s academy and had a season-long loan spell at Hibernian in season 2017/18, was unable to nail down a regular first-team starting place at Ibrox after completing a permanent switch in August 2019.

He made just 13 appearances in all competitions during his debut season before enjoying a sustained run of matches the following campaign before he was loaned out to Oxford United.

Barker didn’t play a part in the closing stages as Rangers went on to lift the top-flight title but he made ten league appearances to ensure he got his hands on a winners’ medal.

The former England youth international then had a spell at Reading in the EFL Championship before moving abroad to link up against with ex-Hibs boss Neil Lennon in Cyprus at Omonia Nicosia.

Following’s Lennon dismissal, Barker went from featuring in the Europa League against Manchester United and Real Sociedad to falling out of new manager Sofronis Avgousti’s plans and he left the club last month after having his contract terminated by mutual consent.