'Tremendous' Hearts & Hibs rival star 'firmly' on Newcastle radar as Rangers transfer 'priority' plan revealed

Hearts and Hibs continue their battle at the foot of the Scottish Premiership table. Saturday brought an important win for the Hibees, while the Jambos wait to take on Aberdeen, who are now two matches without a win.

The two Edinburgh sides will be able to explore their transfer options in just a matter of weeks when the January window opens. Let’s take a look at some of the latest Scottish Premiership rumours as the final weeks of 2024 approach.

Ex-scout reveals ‘priority’ Rangers transfer plan

Rangers have slipped significantly behind Premiership leaders Celtic in the bid for this season’s title. While the pressure mounts on Philippe Clement, a number of transfer rumours have been doing the rounds ahead of the January window.

Former Manchester United scout Mick Brown has revealed Rangers’ transfer plan of keeping tabs on the top young players in Scotland for a potential cheap deal, and prioritising bringing them in to build them up.

“They’re prioritising the signings of homegrown players. If they can sign the best Scottish talents it will give them a solid foothold. That will be the base for them to build upon, having homegrown talents that can grow and develop at the club until they turn into top players,” Brown told Football Insider.

“Then, they can establish themselves in the Rangers team or they’ll move on and bring money in. With their financial situation, they’ll struggle to fight off other teams to sign foreign talents. So focusing on players from within Scotland allows them to add to their quality without having to pay over the odds or fight off some of the English clubs for example.”

Newcastle and Leeds watching Motherwell star

Lennon Miller is rapidly becoming one of the most sought-after Scottish talents and Motherwell would be wise to brace themselves for a flurry of offers in 2025. Celtic and Rangers have both been showing interest in snapping up the 18-year-old but the speculation has now spread across the border and a number of Premier League clubs are eager to bring him in.

Transfer insider Graeme Bailey has provided an update on the interest in Miller coming from England, as ‘more than half’ of the Premier League is keeping tabs on the Motherwell star right now. With eight goalscoring contributions in all competitions so far this season, he is viewed as a huge prospect for the near future.

“He is a tremendous prospect. Celtic and Rangers were hoping he was still under the radar a little bit, as they thought it would be a battle between them two. But the English teams have really started to flock over the past six to eight weeks. I am told that more than half of the Premier League are looking at Lennon Miller, while Leeds United are also watching him,” Bailey told Geordie Boot Boys.

“Newcastle like him. They really have a good history now of picking up these 18 and 19-year-olds. Newcastle have watched him and like him. He can play anywhere in midfield. Newcastle are firmly in the mix, and it will be up to the player. He’s a good tactician and a really good player.”