Premier League trio target impressive Celtic star as Rangers turn down loan to buy offer

Celtic are chasing a third consecutive Scottish Premiership title this season, but they can also expect firm competition from Glasgow rivals Rangers, who have impressed since Philippe Clement’s arrival in mid-October.

The January transfer window is expected to play an important role in deciding the fate of both title-chasing clubs and Celtic face an important battle to keep hold of one of their star assets after solid interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

SBI reports that the likes of West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Brentford are all interested in acquiring Hoops defender Cameron Carter-Vickers in January.

Carter-Vickers originally joined Celtic on a season-long loan from Tottenham in August 2021, proceeding to win the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup that season. That deal was promptly made permanent by Ange Postecoglou and the USA international has quickly established himself as a pivotal figure in the team - lifting a domestic treble in his second season with the club.

The 26-year-old’s success at Celtic has allowed him to establish himself as a permanent fixture in the USA national team and he has earned eight of his 16 caps during his time at Parkhead. Carter-Vickers’ has been in the Scottish Premiership Team of the Season in both of the last two years and his consistency makes him a key target for a number of Premier League clubs.

The central defender’s experience could prove vital to a West Team juggling the demands of Premier League and European football, and it seems increasingly important for the team to have great squad depth in order to thrive in both competitions. Fellow Premier League side’s Brentford and Nottingham Forest have struggled for form this season and could benefit from the stability of Carter-Vickers’ presence.

Celtic, themselves, will be keen to retain the USA international’s services. The Hoops have an eight point gap over the Gers at the top of the league, although their city-rivals could reduce the gap to a slender two points if they are to win both games in hand.

Rangers reject loan to buy offer as signing a striker becomes a priority

Rangers are the chasing pack in the title race and Football Insider reporter Peter O’Rourke has revealed that the Glasgow giants are keen to sign another striker this month to propel them to the title.

Philippe Clement’s side made an early-window move for Fabio Silva, bringing him to Ibrox on a loan deal running until the end of the season – but the Belgian wants to make one more addition.

The Ibrox club are believed to be considering offers for Turkish defender Ridvan Yilmaz and his potential sale could be used to fund the signing of a striker.

It has been widely reported recently from Sky Sports that Rangers have turned down a loan offer with an option to buy worth around £3.4million.

Sky in Italy are reporting Hellas Verona are leading the race to sign the left-back on loan. The Italian outfit are believed to be making contingency plans for the potential sale of Josh Doig, the ex-Hibs man who has attracted interest from various clubs this summer including Marseille, Celtic and Leeds United.