Rangers face competition for target as 'bid prepared' while ex-Celtic hero 'frustrated' at Birmingham City
The latest transfer headlines from Glasgow as the January sales draw closer
While most families around the world are beginning to breathe a sigh of relief after completing their Christmas shopping, it’s a very different story for football managers as they prepare for the hustle and bustle of the January transfer window.
Rangers and Celtic are two teams that are likely to be busy. Neither are achieving their objectives in terms of league position and both have underperformed in Europe and domestic cup competitions so far. The two iconic clubs have both changed managers midseason and are expected to give their new gaffer ample funds to try and fix the problems that are holding back their chances of achieving success.
With that in mind, we roundup the biggest stories involving both Glasgow heavyweights as the January window draws closer.
Eintracht Frankfurt prepare opening bid for key Rangers target
German heavyweights Eintracht Frankfurt have emerged as strong contenders to sign Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl in January.
The promising 20-year-old Norweigen midfielder has already racked up 75 appearances in the Eliteserien since making his debut in 2023 and is tipped to become a senior international in the near future after thriving for the Under-21 team. Hjerto-Dahl has been linked with Rangers in the build-up to the summer window amid reports that summer signing Joe Rothwell could be offloaded to Sheffield United.
Danny Rohl is expected to be backed heavily by the new owners after the team’s underwhelming start to the campaign, but attracting Hjerto-Dahl could be challenging, according to the Daily Record, who report that Frankfurt are already linining up an offer for the exciting midfield prospect.
The same outlet adds, however, that Hjerto-Dahl is not the only target. St Etienne midfielder Pierre Ekwah, aged 23, who is shining in the second-tier of French football, is also reported to be someone that Rohl admirers. He’s made 30 appearances for the French club since joining in 2024 and has also previously played for Sunderland in the Championship and Chelsea at academy level. He’s primarily a central midfielder but is capable of covering as a central defender aswell in a makeshift capacity.
Kyogo Furuhashi is 'frustrated' at Birmingham City
Birmingham City boss Chris Davies has admitted that former Celtic frontman Kyogo Furuhashi is ‘frustrated’ at the way his career at Birmingham City has panned out so far.
The Japanese international Celtic was a hero at Parkhead, netting 85 goals in 165 appearances for the club and winning eight trophies. But his career came to an abrupt end in January when he made the decision to leave Glasgow and complete a transfer for French side Stade Rennes. Kyogo made just six appearances in the second half of last season after moving to Brittany and failed to register a single goal contribution in the limited opportunities he was given under manager Habib Beye, who succeeded Jorge Sampaoli just three days after the Japanese forward’s arrival.
Rennes recouped most of what they paid for Kyogo by selling him to newly-promoted Championship side Birmingham City over the summer. The signing was viewed with really excitement by Blues supporters, but simply hasn’t worked out so far, with the forward failing to score or assist in 16 Championship appearances. He’s been outperformed by players like Jay Stansfield, Marvin Ducksch and Lyndon Dykes so far this term.
He’s started five matches and is struggling to adjust to the demands of life south of the border. Kyogo now faces the prospect of missing out on Japan's World Cup squad as the prospect of a Celtic return continues to float around in the background.
Davies admits it has been a tough season for the striker. He told Birmingham Live: “It has been a frustration for Kyogo, a frustration for himself more than anyone else, and I can see that in him. He really wanted to come here, play regularly, score goals and get back in that Japan squad after a difficult few months in France. It was only a few months because he was still doing great at Celtic before he went off there. “
The Birmingham boss says he has not doubts about Kyogo’s ability but insists the striker needs to show it on the pitch if he’s to make his Blues career a success. He added: “Going back to the stat about the amount of chances we’ve created, he’s had quite a few of those and someone told me that in terms of big chances created in the league he is up there as well. And he hasn’t capitalised on those chances. He knows that, I’ve told him that he needs to take those chances and moments. He’s good enough to do it, he’s shown that, but he needs to go and make it happen now. No one else is going to do it for him, he needs to do it himself.”