Celtic target 'unwilling' to agree on wage proposal as Rangers name £5m asking price for exit-linked forward

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After their disappointing Euro 2024 opener against Germany, Scotland are back in action on Wednesday against Switzerland as they look to resurrect their hopes of advancing past the group stages. Hearts star Lawrence Shankland was brought on during the final minutes but the damage was already done and he had limited impact on the game.

While Scotland look to bounce back against the Swiss, there is plenty going on domestically as well, as clubs continue to explore new signings and sales with the summer transfer window now officially open. We’ve looked at some of the latest transfer headlines in the Scottish Premiership as clubs prepare for another exciting season — take a look below.

Celtic target ‘making move difficult’

Celtic have been in talks over making Paulo Bernardo’s time at Parkhead permanent following his loan stint under Brendan Rodgers last season. The midfielder joined the club last September from Benfica until the end of the term and made 22 Premiership appearances, stepping up especially during the injury absences of both Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor.

There was an option to buy clause in Bernardo’s contract, in the region of £6 million. Celtic had been negotiating this figure but another roadblock has appeared in their pursuit of Bernardo.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, the Hoops are having problems reaching the 22-year-old’s wage demands, as the player himself is ‘making things difficult’. The report claims that Bernardo is ‘pushing for a similar wage’ to what he was earning at Benfica, which is something Celtic are finding tricky agreeing on.

Record reports that Bernardo is on a ‘substantial salary’ with the Primeira Liga outfit and he is ‘unwilling’ to agree to the money Celtic are currently offering. However, this doesn’t mean the end of the road for the negotiations, as talks are ongoing between the two parties and the deal is ‘not yet a closed book’.

Rangers to ‘demand £5m’ for forward sale

Rangers will reportedly ‘demand’ a fee of £5 million for the sale of Tom Lawrence this summer, if they decide to cash in on the versatile winger. Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the Gers want to raise as much cash as possible if a sale is to go ahead in the coming months.

Regardless of how much they receive should they choose to cash in, Rangers will be making a profit on Lawrence, having signed him for free back in 2022 from Derby County. His current contract is due to expire next summer and after struggling to nail down a permanent spot in Philippe Clement’s XI, a move could be the best scenario for all involved.

Lawrence is a left-winger by trade but spent next to no time in his natural position last season. The versatile Wales international played predominantly as either an attacking or central midfielder and even dropped into the No.6 role when called upon.