Rangers close on £1.7m deal for international striker as Aston Villa set to poach Celtic director

Rangers are reportedly closing in on completing their latest summer signing and have made a firm move to secure another new addition.

Philippe Clement will look to freshen up his squad during his first summer transfer window in charge at Ibrox and is said to have prioritised the signing of at least one striker in the near future. Progress over an agreement to sign Morocco international Hamza Igamane has been made in recent days and there are high hopes the £1.7m deal can be concluded over the next week. The Daily Record have reported the 21-year-old FAR Rabat frontman is set to undergo a medical - but could miss ‘a big chunk’ of Rangers pre-season schedule if he is named in Morocco’s squad for the Olympics.

However, Rangers are hoping to follow up the deal for Igamane with the signing of Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron after they reportedly submitted a new contract offer to the Scotland Under-21 star. The 21-year-old is rapidly approaching the final weeks of his current deal at Pittodrie and is believed to be the subject of interest from English Championship clubs Plymouth Argyle, Stoke City, Cardiff City and Swansea City, as well as Italian club Hellas Verona. Barron is said to be preparing to make a firm decision over his future after returning from a holiday in recent days.

Rangers have already been active in the summer transfer window after concluding the signings of Brazilian full-back Jefte, AC Milan defender Clinton Nsiala and extending Oscar Cortes’ loan from Lens with the addition of an obligation to convert the move into a permanent deal next summer.

Key Celtic figure to join Champions League newcomers

Celtic are set to lose the services of a key figure as he closes in on a move to Aston Villa.

GlasgowWorld have reported commercial director Adrian Filby is set to leave Celtic Park to take up the same position with the English Premier League club as they prepare for life in the Champions League. Filby has been part of the Hoops setup since 2008 in what was his second spell with the club after working as a special projects manager between 1997 and 2002.

He made a major impact at Celtic just four years ago when he played an integral role in a reportedly record-breaking £30m kit sponsorship deal with sportswear giants Adidas and concluded further deals with bookmakers Ladbrokes, gaming firm EA Sports and Forbes Bespokes suits over the last two years.