Celtic 'interested' in popular left-back while £3m-rated star is 'talking to' Rangers

With the Scottish Premiership now wrapped up, just one match remains for both Celtic and Rangers before they can shift their full focus onto the summer transfer window. The two Glasgow giants will meet for a final time this season in the highly anticipated Scottish Cup final.

The Hoops and the Gers will play out one last Old Firm derby for the 2023/24 season, this time at Hampden Park. As we build up towards this Saturday’s all-or-nothing clash, let’s take a look at some of the latest headlines on the transfer rumour mill, with the summer window now just around the corner.

Celtic interested in left-back

The agent of Shakhtar Donetsk’s Irakli Azarov has confirmed that Celtic are among the clubs ‘interested’ in signing the left-back this summer, according to Georgian outlet Geo Team. The Hoops are joined by clubs in Ligue 1 and Serie A in the race for the defender’s signature.

Brendan Rodgers has been looking to strengthen his options at left-back for some time now, having recently failed to sign Owen Beck from Liverpool. Greg Taylor is currently Celtic’s only senior figure in that position, so naturally the club is casting the net further out to try and land reinforcements this window.

Azarov is still a new signing for Shakhtar, having only joined the Ukrainian club last summer from Red Star Belgrade. He signed on a five-year deal so it’s unlikely the Miners will let him leave easily just a year into his contract. Azarov also enjoyed winning both the Ukrainian Premier League and Ukrainian Cup in his debut season, missing only a handful of games across all competitions during the 2023/24 term.

£3m-rated winger ‘talking to’ Rangers

Rangers loanee Óscar Cortés is due to leave Ibrox at the end of this month to return to Lens but there is still discussions ongoing over where his immediate future lies. The 20-year-old joined the Gers on loan in February and enjoyed a positive run of performances before picking up an injury which ruled him out of the last chunk of Premiership fixtures.

While his deal is due to expire shortly, Cortés does have an option to buy clause in his contract and it appears that different avenues are being explored. The Colombian sat down with sports journalist Pipe Sierra (h/t Rangers Review), to shed some light on what is going on behind the scenes between his parent club Lens and Rangers.

"Me and my agents are keeping tabs on the negotiations that are taking place. We will see what happens. I'm talking to my agents and also to Lens and Rangers. Let's see what happens. I am waiting,” Cortés said.

"[Regarding my injury] I’m doing well now, after everything that has happened. There were obviously difficult times but I think that with the help of all the people I have around me they helped me a lot, and they have helped me to be calm in my head as well.

"I arrived and started to do things very well and well unfortunately the injury came and I had to stop for three months but I thank God I am already in the recovery process."