Hull City hope to complete signing of Rangers ace as Celtic edge closer to landing Ortega in fresh update
The latest transfer headlines from Celtic and Rangers ahead of a busy week of action for both clubs
Out-of-favour Rangers central midfielder Kieran Dowell is believed to be the subject of strong interest from English Championship outfit Hull City as a possible January transfer is mooted.Dowell joined Rangers during the summer of 2023 on a free transfer during Michael Beale’s only summer transfer window in charge of the club.
The Everton academy graduate arrived to a fair degree of fanfare after spells with Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Derby County and Norwich City. He was an Under-20 World Cup winner with England in 2017 and appeared a further 17 times in a competitive Under-21 team.
"I know a lot of Rangers fans and Scottish lads from my previous clubs, and they just speak so highly of Rangers - the intensity of it, the pressure of it - and that is a really good pressure as you are expected to win every game," Dowell told the Rangers website after arriving.
However, since joining due to a combination of form, injuries and different managers’ preferences, Dowell has never really made the desired impact in a Rangers shirt. Overall, he’s played 38 matches across all competitions, scoring twice and providing three assists. He even spent the second half of last season out on loan with Birmingham City where he won the League One title but surprisingly was kept on at Rangers over the summer despite rampant speculation linking him with a move south of the border.
Hull City hope to complete the signing of Kieran Dowell
EFL journalist Alan Nixon reports that Hull City are hoping to complete the loan signing of Dowell in the upcoming January window. The 28-year-old has been made available for the winter market, and he could welcome a move back to the Championship.
The Tigers are thought to be optimistic of their chances of reaching an agreement with Rangers, with a loan move to the second-tier being the most likely outcome at this point. Dowell is under contract until the summer of 2026, meaning any potential deal would likely spark the end of what has been an underwhelming stint at Ibrox so far.
Since making the decision to stay, Dowell has racked up 384 minutes of first team fooball this term. The majority of that came in Champions League qualifyers and it’s worth noting that he’s only played 124 minutes of Premiership action, with his most recent appearance coming on matchday two in a 1-1 draw with Dundee FC.
Infact, he’s not even made the squad at all since the end of August, and it’s thought that he’s currently nursing an injury.
Fresh Stefan Ortega to Celtic update emerges
Football Insider understands that Celtic are plotting a move for Stefan Ortega. It’s a transfer which has been on the cards for a few months now following Kasper Schemeichel’s recent dip in form and the decision to hire Wilfried Nancy.
Ortega is out-of-contract in the summer, meaning he’s likely to leave the Etihad on a free transfer. Celtic had been linked with a £500k swoop for the shot-stopper but are instead expected to be patient in their approach for the goalkeeper as they wait until the summer where Schemeichel, 39, is likely to depart.
The Manchester City backup goalkeeper has made a combined total of 56 appearances for the Sky Blues, conceding 51 times and keeping 25 clean sheets. He’s renowned for having good ball-playing abilities which could make him a perfect fit for Nancy’s possession-based brand of football.