Celtic move for striker who could follow in father’s footsteps as Rangers receive boost in race for defender

Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers will resume their season this weekend with another round of Scottish Premiership fixtures.

League leaders Celtic will look to improve on their eight point gap at the top of the table when they play host to a Motherwell team who haven’t won in their last nine matches. Meanwhile, Rangers will hope to ramp up the pressure on their fierce city-rivals when they make the trip to Aberdeen just weeks before the Viaplay Cup final between the two teams at Hampden.

The Gers have some ground to make up if they want to put pressure on Celtic’s title defence and the January transfer window could play a big part in both teams’ performances in the new year. With that in mind GlasgowWorld has rounded up all of the biggest stories surrounding Celtic and Rangers as the January transfer window edges closer.

Celtic ‘move’ for Dutch striker who could follow in father’s footsteps (Daily Record)

Celtic have reportedly made their interest in striker Sydney van Hooijdonk known to Bologna ahead of a potential January switch, according to reports from the Daily Record.

The Dutch striker has been on Brendan Rodgers’ radar for a number of months and was heavily touted with a move to Celtic Park in the summer after a successful loan spell at Heerneven in the Eredivisie.

The 23-year-old scored 19 goals in 39 appearances last season in the Netherlands which prompted interest from Celtic. However, Bologna boss Thiago Motta dismissed any offers to buy the player as wanted to give him the chance to impress in Serie A for his team.

Van Hooijdonk has struggled for first team opportunities since making the return to Northern Italy and he has been limited to just 41 minutes of action in the league across five substitute appearances.

Corriere di Bologna reports that Motta is ready to move the player out on loan to make room for new recruits. Furthermore, the player’s agent is also said to be looking for a new home for the player so that he can kick start his career.

The 6ft3 striker would be welcomed with open arms by the Celtic faithful if he was to make the move due to the reputation of his father Pierre van Hoojdonk who scored 44 goals in 69 league appearances for the Hoops between 1995 and 1997.

Rangers receive boost in race to sign defender (Sunderland Echo)

Rangers boss Philippe Clement is believed to be in the market for a defender in the summer and one of the names high on his wishlist is reportedly Hammarby star Nathaniel Adjei.

The Sun reported that both the Gers and Celtic were keen on signing the footballer while Leeds United have also been linked with the 21-year-old. Adjei was involved in 20 games in the Swedish tip-flight last term as his team recorded a sixth place finish. His form at the time prompted huge praise from his former manager Marti Cifuentes (now of Queens Park Rangers). 

Cifuentes told Ghana Soccer Net in an earlier interview: “Adjei will develop into a top-notch defender. We know the talent we have on our hands because he has displayed glimpses of being a top-notch footballer.”

Sunderland were reportedly one of the leading candidates to sign the defender as they target promotion back into the Premier League. However, new reports from the Sunderland Echo suggest that the Black Cats have now distanced themselves from the move to pursue other targets in January.