Arne Slot reveals his transfer strategy for the upcoming transfer windows (Credits: Imago Images)
The transfer window is officially open, and Scottish football clubs are wasting no time in pursuing their top recruitment targets this summer.
Celtic supporters have been eager to see movement, and the club appears close to making a significant splash by targeting not one but two Bosnian midfielders.
The Hoops have been heavily linked with Brondby midfielder Benjamin Tahirovic, and now his international partner Ivan Basic is also reportedly being targeted by Martin O’Neill.
Basic, aged 24, plays his club football for Astana in Kazakhstan and has been closely watched by Celtic during the World Cup.
Both Basic and Tahirovic started Bosnia and Herzegovina’s opening group game against host nation Canada, forming the midfield double pivot in Sergej Barbarez’s side.
Across Glasgow, Rangers are waiting for RB Salzburg to finalise their move for Danny Rohl before officially handing Derek McInnes the manager’s role at Ibrox.
McInnes will reunite with Lawrence Shankland and is expected to move quickly to reshape the squad once his appointment is confirmed.
Dundee United have already made their first move of the window, winning the race for Northern Irish defender Michael Forbes ahead of competition from St Johnstone, English League One clubs, and sides from the Netherlands.
Forbes, who goes out of contract with West Ham United at the end of the month, is set to sign a two-year deal with an additional 12-month club option, subject to a medical.
The 22-year-old left-sided defender made his international debut against Finland in 2023 and is hoping regular Premiership football will help him return to Michael O’Neill’s international plans.
Aberdeen have also been active, adding towering central defender Dan Happe from Leyton Orient, with Conor Ronan also understood to be set to join the club.
On the international stage, Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella is closing in on a move to Real Madrid, with an initial fee of £47.4 million agreed plus around £4.3 million in add-ons.
Cucurella, who joined Chelsea from Brighton in 2022 in a £63 million deal, has made 150 appearances for the club and won the Conference League and Club World Cup during his time in London.
Atletico Madrid had also been interested in the Spain international, but Real Madrid have beaten their La Liga rivals to the 27-year-old’s signature.
Cucurella had said of newly appointed Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso: “I’ve spoken with him and he inspired a lot of confidence in me. The project seems very interesting.”
Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou used his appearance on ITV’s World Cup coverage alongside Roy Keane and Gary Neville to praise Daizen Maeda, the Japanese forward he signed for Celtic in 2022.
Free agent Bernardo Silva is also expected to join Jose Mourinho’s new-look Real Madrid side as the summer’s business continues to gather pace globally.
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