Belgian club ‘can’t afford’ forgotten Celtic defender as QPR winger ‘wanted’ by Rangers

Celtic and Rangers are ramping up their preparations ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final showdown at Hampden Park.

Ahead of this weekend’s action in Mount Florida, transfer news stories count to bubble away in the background as the summer window edges closer. Here is the latest Celtic and Rangers transfer news on Thursday, April 27:

Forgotten Celtic defender set for Parkhead return

Celtic defender Osaze Urhoghide will reportedly return to Parkhead this summer after spending two seasons on loan at relegation-threatened Belgian club KV Oostende.

The ex-Sheffield Wednesday centre-back, who joined the Hoops in the summer of 2021 alongside Liam Shaw, spent six months in Glasgow and made his debut in a Europa League dead-rubber against Real Betis before being shipped out on loan.

The 22-year-old established himself as a regular started for the Jupiler Pro League side, featuring 27 times in the league this season. Oostende were understood to be exploring an option to sign Urhoghide on a permanent basis beyond the end of the season if they managed to retain their top division status.

However, according to Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad, the club won’t be able to afford him, with manager Dominik Thalhammer facing a huge summer overhaul and 11 players entering the final few weeks of their contracts.

Limited funds will mean Urhoghide heads back to Celtic Park, but his game time will be severely restricted with at least four players - Cameron Carter-Vickers, Cark Starfelt, Yuki Kobayashi and Stephen Welsh - ahead of him in the pecking order.

QPR winger ‘wanted’ by Rangers

Michael Beale looks set to raid his former club QPR this summer with Rangers hopeful of landing a cut-price deal for Chris Willock, according to a report from the Daily Record.

The 25-year-old winger is out of contract at the end of the season, but the Loftus Road club have an option to trigger a new 12 month deal. However, Beale is eager to be reunited with the Londoner either on a free transfer or on a small transfer fee.

Beale embarked on his latest scouting mission to watch Qpr draw 1-1 with Norwich City last week and it’s claimd Willock and Canaries star Kieran Dowell were the two players he was there to oversee.

Willock - a product of Arsenal’s youth system - left the Emirates to join Benfica in 2017 and was tipped for a bright future by ex-Gunners manager Arsene Wenger. However, he failed to make a first-team breakthrough in Portugal and returned to England two years later on loan spells with West Brom and Huddersfield Town.

Former QPR boss Mark Warburton coughed up £750,000 to recruit Willock in 2020 - a player Beale would later inherit and is now tracking closely ahead of a summer swoop in a bid to strengthen Rangers attacking options.