Celtic's late push for pace, depth and Champions League readiness

Scottish football is cramming weeks of planning into a handful of days. At the eye of it all: Celtic, who are trying to land multiple signings before the window shuts on September 1 and lock in their Champions League squad list days later. The headline move is a four-year deal being lined up for Belgian winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha, as first flagged by Stephen McGowan. The 24-year-old has the profile Brendan Rodgers wants—quick, direct, and happy to carry the ball into traffic.

Balikwisha has been a steady riser in Belgium, known for bursts down the left and a sharp first step that pulls markers out of shape. Rodgers has asked for more one-v-one threat and end product from the flanks, and the Belgian ticks both boxes. He presses, he runs beyond, and he makes defenders turn toward their own goal. That’s the kind of chaos Celtic have missed in tight domestic games and on European nights when space is tight.

There’s also movement at left-back. Celtic are advancing a deal for Uruguay’s Marcelo Saracchi, a high-energy full-back whose CV includes RB Leipzig, River Plate and Galatasaray. When fit, Saracchi brings recovery pace and aggressive positioning up the line—traits that fit Celtic’s high-possession, high-territory game under Rodgers. The big question is availability. He’s had injury setbacks in the past, so the medicals and workload plan will matter as much as the contract.

The plan, according to people close to the talks, is not to stop there. Celtic want one more striker and another wide option before the deadline. The logic is simple: last season’s bench didn’t change enough games, and Rodgers wants more punch from the 60th minute onward. Expect flexible profiles—forwards who can play wide and attack the box, rather than classic target men.

So why leave it late? Money and movement. Premier League clubs have only just started freeing up loans, agents are circling for the best fees, and sellers who waited in August are now blinking. Celtic’s board prefer deals with clear value, sell-on potential, and wages that don’t lock the club into a corner. Add UEFA’s squad registration cut-off soon after the window shuts and you get a last-week sprint with little room for error.

For Celtic, the checklist is tight and the margin for slippage is small. Two deals need to be banked, two more pushed over the line, and the Champions League squad submitted on time. That’s why the recruitment team has been running parallel talks across positions, not just Plan A, but B and C as well.

  • Priority 1: Finalize Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s four-year deal.
  • Priority 2: Complete Marcelo Saracchi and ensure medical clearance.
  • Priority 3: Add a versatile striker who can press and finish.
  • Priority 4: Secure another winger for depth and competition.

The upside is clear. Hit on two of these four, and the starting XI takes a step up. Hit on all four, and rotation stops being a worry in December. The key is that first name. For search and for supporters, this week is about Celtic transfers that change the speed of the front line.

Rangers, Aberdeen and the scramble across the Premiership

Rangers are busy too, working loan options as they try to add a striker before the bell. The model on the table in several talks is the classic “loan with obligation to buy” based on appearances or European qualification. That structure keeps cash flow manageable now, but still gives selling clubs a guaranteed exit. One name doing the rounds in gossip columns is Bojan Miovski, yet the reality is straightforward: he’s under contract at Aberdeen, and any deal would be complicated and expensive. Rangers are keeping more than one line open because they know deadlines can kill single-track plans.

Their need is obvious. They want a forward who can run channels, occupy centre-backs, and finish reliably—someone who fits a front-foot press and doesn’t need five chances to score one. A loan with a mandatory option makes sense if it brings in a top-level profile they couldn’t afford outright in July.

Aberdeen, meanwhile, have embraced volume. Locally, the Dons are being credited with one of the busiest windows in Scotland. Reports across the week list a mix of deals—free transfers, modest fees, and loans—spanning several positions. The idea is to refresh the squad, raise competition, and build a deeper rotation for the long slog from August to winter. It’s a bet that more options, even if not all are headline signings, will lift the floor of performances.

Here’s what stands out about Aberdeen’s approach: they’ve spread their spending and moved early in some cases, then kept powder dry for the final week in others. That allows them to react to late loans from England and Europe while still keeping a stable core. If a key sale lands late, they still have room to work.

Hearts are also weighing loans, with the focus on players who can step in fast rather than “projects.” Managers across the league know the risks of August: take a shiny name without minutes in his legs, and it can be October before he’s at full speed. The smarter moves this week will be for players who’ve had a proper pre-season and can go straight into matchday squads.

What will decide who wins deadline day? Three things. First, medicals and paperwork—clubs are leaning on remote medicals and pre-approved imaging to save hours. Second, loan lists from bigger leagues—once Premier League benches are set after the second weekend, doors open. Third, the domino effect—one striker moves in Spain or England and three Scottish deals get unstuck.

The stakes are not subtle. European money and momentum in the league hinge on getting this week right. For Celtic, it means hitting the Champions League with pace out wide and a stronger left flank. For Rangers, it’s finding a finisher without blowing the budget. For Aberdeen and Hearts, it’s nailing the balance between quantity and quality, today and tomorrow. Expect flurries of announcements, late-night registration pushes, and a few near-misses that surface only after the window shuts.

Deadline day in Scotland rarely moves in straight lines. Phones will light up, offers will be reshaped, and some moves will come together in the final hour because someone finally says yes on a release clause. The next few days will decide whether Celtic turn a good squad into a European-ready one, whether Rangers add the goals they’ve chased all summer, and whether the chasing pack have done enough to close the gap.