Rangers and Celtic branded transfer gateways for elite as pundit names duo sold on Old Firm by EPL potential

Rangers and Celtic have been described as a stepping stone destination for bigger and better.

The Light Blues and Hoops are global brands but the Scottish Premiership does not fall into the bracket of an elite European league. That kind of company is reserved for the likes of the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A, but that doesn’t mean clubs can’t pack a punch.

Both sides of the Old Firm have plenty of talent, showcased by Rangers progress to the last eight of the Europa League and Celtic’s progress out of the league phase in the Champions League. Pundit Tam McManus reckons players at both clubs see them as a gateway to the elite frontier.

Rangers and Celtic turn transfer gateways

Citing Celtic’s Arne Engels who made a move from Augsburg in Germany last summer and Rangers’ Nico Raskin who was named in this month’s Belgium squad, the former player says both were lured to Glasgow by thoughts of England. He told PLZ: “I think that when younger players come to Celtic or Rangers, it’s a stepping stone probably to the English Premier League, which is the biggest and richest league in the world.

“I think that’s how Celtic got Engels in, that’s how they’ve sold that to him, from the Bundesliga to Celtic, saying you’re gonna play and you’re gonna play in the Champions League. Next move for you might be English Premier League. I am sure that was the situation with Nico Raskin as well.

“Do well here and you go to bigger and better things. Rangers haven’t been good at selling their players at the prime time. If Nico Raskin has any ambition, Rangers are a massive club, but he will move to the English Premier League.”

Why Arne Engels signed for Celtic

Upon signing his deal until the summer of 2028 last year, Engels revealed his reasons for the move to Celtic and it was all rooted in what the Hoops can offer him now. He said in the club announcement: “We have a really good squad at Celtic and with the fans behind us, I hope we will get a lot of trophies and wins together.

“It will be amazing to play at Celtic Park. Everyone is really close to the pitch so I think it will be really, really loud, and from what I’ve heard of it, it will be really special. I hope to play before the fans as soon as possible. The trust that the club and the manager is giving me is a lot and it’s nice to experience. It’s also a bonus point actually, so it’s always nice to hear this from such a really good manager.

“Celtic has a style that suits me really well so that’s also one of the reasons that I wanted to join this really big club. It will be amazing to create a lot of chances and to get a lot of possession in games. It’s a new experience so it will be really nice.”