Rangers transfer recruit faces 'huge task' at Ibrox as Celtic player edges towards exit in cryptic update
The latest transfer talk from Celtic and Rangers as the summer transfer window approaches its final fortnight.
Rangers new boy Connor Barron has been told what he must do to succeed during his time Ibrox.
The Scotland Under-21 midfielder became one of Philippe Clement’s first summer signings when he agreed to join Rangers after his contract at Premiership rivals Aberdeen came to an end. Barron made his competitive debut in last weekend’s goalless draw at Hearts before making his Champions League bow in the 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kyiv in midweek. Barron made his home debut on Saturday as Clement’s men picked up their first win of the season when Cyriel Dessers and Vaclav Cerny both netted in a 2-1 victory against Motherwell.
As he settles into life with Rangers and looks to adjust to life as part of a title challenging side, Barron has been given some advice by someone who made the same step he has just made earlier in his career. Former Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack made a free transfer switch to Ibrox from Aberdeen during the summer of 2017 and remained with the club until his contract came to an end in July. The 20-times capped Scotland star believes Barron must ‘block out the outside noise’ and revealed key figures within the Rangers setup will be supporting the young midfielder during the early months of his time with the club.
He told William Hill’s The Warm-Up: “No doubt he’ll be going through a tough time, you do get the backlash. For him he’s got to work that out, it’s irrelevant. He’s got to focus on that he’s at a huge club, he’s going to have a huge task. He’s come in and actually done really well in his first couple of games. He’s got a huge task at the club and has to block out the outside noise. I’m sure everyone in the building will be supporting him, as they did with me when I made the move.”
Celtic player edges towards exit in cryptic update
Celtic defender Bosun Lawal has been linked with a move to English Championship club Stoke City - Potters boss Steven Schumacher has admitted talks have taken place over a possible deal.
The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Fleetwood Town and worked under former Celtic star Scott Brown during his time with the English League One club. However, it now looks increasingly likely Lawal will step into the second tier of the English game after he was pictured at Stoke’s Bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Schumacher was asked about a possible move for Lawal in the aftermath of his side’s 1-0 win against Coventry City and admitted he has an interest in the 21-year-old - but would not comment further until a deal is completed.
The Potters boss said: He said: "Well, it's obviously someone we're interested in and someone we've been speaking to Celtic about for a little while. It's obviously not finalised yet so I won't go into too much detail yet if you don't mind because obviously we won't until it's confirmed."