Celtic Pursues Gvidas Gineitis Amid Midfield Rebuild
Celtic’s midfield rebuild is already stretching beyond this window, with the club ready to revive their pursuit of Torino and Lithuania midfielder Gvidas Gineitis when January comes around.
The 22-year-old, who has been on Celtic’s radar before, remains a live target, with recruitment staff keeping the file open as they look to add more energy and physicality in the middle of the park. The message is clear: this midfield is still a work in progress, and Gineitis is viewed as a potential long-term piece rather than a short-term fix.
While the next window looms in the background, one new arrival is already pushing to make Glasgow a more permanent home.
Oliver Sorenson, 24, has barely unpacked his bags after joining on loan from Parma, yet he is already talking about staying beyond the end of the season. The Dane wants to turn the temporary deal into something more concrete, backing himself to convince Celtic he belongs at the heart of their plans.
Sorenson has drawn on some high-level experience to shape that ambition. He has faced Scotland international Scott McTominay in Serie A and now wants to apply the lessons learned from the Napoli midfielder to his own game in the Scottish Premiership. That kind of reference point underlines the standards he is chasing – and the type of midfielder Celtic hope he can become.
Across the city, another loanee is on the move in the opposite direction of permanence.
Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeness has sent winger Badredine Bouanani to Rangers with his blessing, wishing the 21-year-old well for his loan spell at Ibrox. The German club see this as a chance for Bouanani to grow in a demanding environment, while Rangers gain a lively wide option for the months ahead.
Not everyone in Edinburgh is looking back on the week with such optimism.
Hibernian head coach David Gray cut a frustrated figure after defender Jack Iredale’s red card in the 3-1 home defeat to Hearts on Thursday night. Gray branded the dismissal “needless”, a moment that undercut Hibs’ hopes in a fixture where discipline and composure were non-negotiable. In a derby that often hinges on fine margins, Hibs handed Hearts the initiative and paid for it.
Early-Season Storylines
Celtic plotting January moves, Rangers bedding in a new winger, Hibs wrestling with costly errors – the early-season storylines are already stacking up. The next few months will show who turns these subplots into something more substantial.
