SPL signing frenzy set to begin
Gers well ahead with transfers as race hots up for new faces
Published:
GET ready for an explosion of transfers in the SPL over the next month.
Rangers have already stolen a march on their Old Firm rivals Celtic in the signing stakes.
Walter Smith has bolstered his attacking options by swooping for Kenny Miller and Andrius Velicka.
Miller moved north from Derby for in a £2million deal, while Velicka makes the switch for £1million from Viking Stavanger, having previously been at Hearts.
The Light Blues boss is also on the verge of winning the race for Burnley’s Kyle Lafferty.
Smith has agreed a £3million fee, but Alan Gow has yet to move south in the opposite direction to Turf Moor which has held up the transfer.
Despite Rangers making waves in the transfer market, SFA registrations officer Sandy Bryson reckons the activity has been slow compared to previous years.
But he’s bracing himself for an explosion later this summer, with Celtic and the rest expected to move to strengthen their squads as well.
He said: “A few SPL clubs have already concluded some signings but it’s still been relatively quiet so far in terms of new arrivals.
“Clubs now tend to take a little more time when it comes to landing new players, as they have to get things right.
“But there’s still been plenty for us to do as there’s been a fair bit of movement in the lower leagues and within the junior ranks.
“However, it will really hot up at the start of July and last well into August, even though some clubs like Rangers have already been making progress.
“Most of the players’ contracts in Scotland run until the end of June.
“Some players sign pre-contracts if they have things sorted out well in advance.
“Others wait until they are officially free agents, and that’s when the scrambles tend to start.
“There’s still scope for clubs to sign players right up until the end of August.”
Aberdeen beat the transfer deadline with just minutes to spare two years ago.
Pittodrie chief Willie Miller was left to burn the midnight oil when he thrashed out a move for Lee Miller from Dundee United at the end of August in 2006.
This year, the Dons have already swooped for giant French keeper Bertrand Bossu, young Irish midfielder Sammy Stewart and former Kilmarnock ace Gary McDonald.
Bossu and Stewart penned their Pittodrie deals on the same day as Stuart Duff pledged his future to the Reds by signing a new two-year deal.
Jimmy Calderwood has also got his sights on further summer recruits with a striker, wide midfield man and central defender among his transfer targets.
Hearts are now regarded as one of the big shakers in the signing stakes since Vladimir Romanov took over.
But while the identity of their new boss remains a mystery, the Jambos have also remained inactive in the transfer market.
Sandy is predicting plenty of activity right up until the final whistle is blown on the 2008 transfer window.
He added: “Clubs will work well into August, particularly if they haven’t got off to the best of starts in the league.
“The window closes at the end of August, so there’s still scope for more movement.”
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