Scottish Premiership: Who does your club need to sign this summer? | Football News

The summer transfer window is officially open but where does your team need to strengthen ahead of the new season?

Michael Beale is promising a summer rebuild at Rangers while Celtic will be looking to hold onto key players and allow their new manager to add to an already strong squad.

Dundee need additions ahead of their top-flight return while Ross County will be keen to build a squad to avoid being dragged into the play-offs again.

There will be plenty of signings and departures before the transfer deadline on September 1, so where does your club need to strengthen?

Well, we have asked supporters from every Scottish Premiership club and here’s what they said…

Aberdeen

Ryan Crombie – A Red Point of View

One of the consistent positives of last season was that the recruitment, by and large, was a success. As a result, Aberdeen boast a strong spine of the team for the coming season. Roos, Ramadani, Duk and Miovski, all who joined last summer, will be integral players over the next 12 months.

That said, the proverbial revolving door is going to be spinning ten to the dozen over the summer months down Pittodrie Street.

First on the agenda for Barry Robson should be trying to entice departing loan players to return for a second stint.

Leighton Clarkson, Graeme Shinnie and Mattie Pollock became key men in the run-in to clinch third and Dons fans would like the club to do everything in their power to bring them all back.

The flanks of the squad need immediate strengthening. The Dons moved quickly to bring in Nicky Devlin to replace the departing Ross McCrorie at right back but on the left, a new full-back will be required to reinforce an ageing Jonny Hayes and Jack MacKenzie who has yet to find his best form.

A couple of attacking wingers will also be needed as the Dons look sparse in that position and will need depth ahead of a minimum of eight games in Europe.

A minimum of nine signings will be needed by Aberdeen this season to replace those leaving and to cope with the heavy schedule that next season promises to bring.

If some of those new signings feature a couple of familiar faces from last season alongside signings similar to the ilk of Miovski, Duk and Ramadani, then I think Dons fans will be content with the club’s summer business.

Celtic

Hamish Carton – 67 Hail Hail

In a strange way, Ange Postecoglou’s departure may not affect Celtic’s summer plans too much.

It seems like Mark Lawwell is holding the fort with regards to recruitment right now. The hope would be that the club can follow the same transfer model with Postecoglou’s successor.

You’re probably likely to see 4 or 5 players come in. A right-winger seems a necessity if Liel Abada moves on. Another centre-back and a left-back may also be high up on the list.

You can probably expect to see Abada, David Turnbull and Stephen Welsh move on. Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi and Cameron Carter-Vickers are the three that we must hold on to at all costs.

Dundee

Gavin Hampton – Dee TV commentator & Dundee choir

I am satisfied so far with new manager Tony Docherty’s signings and contract renewals so far.

Dundee have wasted no time adding to the squad for our Premiership return with former St Mirren captain Joe Shaughnessy, PFA Scotland’s League Two player of the season Charlie Reilly and ex-Partick Thistle winger Scott Tiffoney moving to Dens Park.

Extending the contracts of key players from our title-winning campaign is very shrewd business, maintaining the nucleus of both a team that are really invested in the club.

I think many Dundee fans would agree that goalkeeper Harrison Sharp’s development could benefit greatly with a loan spell where he can claim first team football, should this intend to be the plan for Docherty then an additional goalkeeper will be necessary regardless of whether he views Adam Legzdins as the number one or not.

Dundee will certainly need to address their number of defenders. You could make a sufficient backline with the options available however, there is no naturally left-footed fullback on the books and there is always room for a bit of depth.

There are 6 players capable of playing in midfield, so although signing another is not a priority the team could still benefit from a few signings as four of them are youth academy graduates with little or no top-flight experience.

We need to strengthen in attack with Zak Rudden currently our only striker. stands as the sum total in the striker department. A target-man type of forward is bound to be on the Doc’s shortlist, an offensive striker capable of bullying opposition defenders.

Zach Robinson was Dundee’s top goalscorer in the league last season and I would love to see him back but his form while on loan from Wimbledon is bound to have caught the eye of some big clubs across the English leagues. Could it happen? Would Dundee fork out a fee? I don’t know, but one thing is certain, it would do wonders for Dundee’s Premiership campaign next season.

In regards to bringing in another creative outlet in midfield, Regan Hendry would be very ideal. I think Tiffoney’s ex-teammate Kyle Turner would also be a great shout to fit the role.

Morton’s Lewis Strapp would be my first choice for a left back, a very consistent performer with a wealth of experience in the Scottish Championship with 172 games played at just 23 years old. I think he’s ready for the step up.

Every Premiership team needs a Premiership striker, Eamon Brophy appears to be out of favour at St Mirren, a change of scenery at Ross County helped him find his form again, he’s a player I’d be keen to see Dundee take a chance on.

Hearts

Scott Wilson – season ticket holder

The summer transfer window feels like quite an important one for Hearts, albeit for different reasons than has been the case in recent years.

The transfer activity completed in the summer 2022 was successful with Lawrence Shankland and Alex Cochrane joining permanently, both of whom were absolute standouts in the last season.

What is also important to reference is the return of the spine of our side with Craig Gordon, Craig Halkett, Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce all returning from long-term injuries.

As good as all the above are, the absence of Craig Halkett hit harder than any. He is exceptional in the air and will be welcomed back, but consensus suggests that another centre back with strong aerial presence would compliment Halkett, Rowles and Sibbick nicely providing strength in depth in a key position.

Beni Baningime will be another welcomed back with open arms after a brilliant debut season in 21/22. He will provide composure and genuine quality in the middle of the park, but like Cammy Devlin is more defensively minded.

A number of players occupied the 10 position last year including Lawrence Shankland, but as brilliant as he is, the fans want our top man as the focal point of the attack as opposed to dropping deeper. Given our tendency to play a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, the position takes on added importance.

The other two positions which seem likely to be addressed are right back and wide midfield.

Michael Smith has been a stalwart in his 200-plus Hearts appearances, and his consistency will be missed on the right flank. Nathaniel Atkinson put in some good performances post-split when he came back in to favour, but at the very minimum it would be expected that a right-back would be added to compete with him.

The wide midfield desire would be sharpened if Josh Ginnelly doesn’t extend his deal. ‘Gino’ came on to the best form of his Hearts career in the last 6 months, playing both through the middle or wide.

Another winger would compliment him well, but should he elect to pursue a different avenue then that would turn in to a necessity. Barrie McKay and Yutaro Oda are undoubtedly talented, but another pacey option would again provide much-needed depth.

Hibernian

Gavin Gilmour – Hibs.net

There’s no settling-in period for Brian McDermott at Hibs. The new director of football’s calendar will be filled to the brim this summer, after the Hibees endured another season of ‘transition’ in 2022/23.

With the club pushing numerous players towards the door, loan deals coming to an end, and top talent like Kevin Nisbet being sold for profit, it’s not unreasonable to expect Hibs to sign upwards of seven new players this window.

David Marshall is a great professional, but following a disappointing season, we might expect a new goalkeeper to enter the frame at Easter Road.

At the other end of the pitch, Nisbet’s goals will need to be expertly replaced in order for Hibs to meet their ambitions for 2023/24 and beyond.

I’d like to see us follow up on our reported interest in Dipo Akinyemi, the SPFL Championship’s top goal scorer and player of the year.

His unconventional route into professional football has culminated in a late surge in his performance levels, and at 26-years old, it’s a great time for him to take the next step in his career.

Kilmarnock

Laurie Finlayson – season-ticket holder

A massive rebuild is needed at Rugby Park after Kilmarnock secured their Premiership status on the final day of the season.

No fewer than 15 players left the club upon the expiry of their contracts, including eight loanees, and it is that over-reliance on loans that Killie must try and avoid this summer. The most notable of the departures so far have been club captain Alan Power and Championship-winning hero Blair Alston.

At the time of writing, Killie have 11 players under contract for the coming season, with a further five players still in negotiations with the club. This means that Derek McInnes has a solid base to build from, but major reinforcements are required in the upcoming transfer window if we want to avoid a repeat of last season’s relegation battle.

The club have been proactive so far this summer, signing centre-back Robbie Deas from Inverness. He could prove to be a shrewd addition to the side as he looks to be an ideal partner for Joe Wright and should provide balance in the centre of defence.

Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come as this will be the first summer window where recruitment manager Russ Richardson is in place.

The former Liverpool scout was key in bringing in 18-year-old left-back Luke Chambers on loan from the Reds in January, and it would be a dream to see Chambers pull on the blue and white stripes again next season.

That could prove to be easier said than done as he recently signed a new contract at Anfield. However, returning to Ayrshire on loan hasn’t been ruled out, much to the excitement of Killie fans like myself.

We don’t have a recognised full-back, so this should be a matter of urgency for McInnes and his recruitment team, of course, the aforementioned Luke Chambers fits that bill, but we need more than him to come in to bolster our options in that department.

As for striking options, having Kyle Vassell, Innes Cameron and Bobby Wales is great, but we need, at least, a dependable backup for Vassell, who will most likely be our starting centre-forward.

It’s going to be an eventful summer at Rugby Park, that’s for sure!

Livingston

Angus McGregor – Talk Livi Podcast

Livingston had issues at both ends of the park last season, conceding 60 goals and only scoring 36, the worst tallies in the club’s five seasons back in the top flight.

Losing captain Nicky Devlin among others and a poor second half to the season shows that David Martindale needs to freshen his side up.

The departure of two key defenders prompted Martindale into early business, recruiting former Scotland International Michael Devlin. Whether Devlin is a credible solution will come down to whether the defender can stay fit.

A right back is needed to take over from former captain Devlin, someone reliable, experienced and hard-working to help our backline. Looking into the free market, the recently departed Richard Tait from St Mirren would fit the bill.

Further reinforcements may be needed in attack as Joel Nouble and Bruce Anderson may be sold if a good enough offer comes in.

Queen of the South’s Ruari Paton has been a name floating around, with the 22-year-old the top scorer in Scottish League One last season.

A punt on Paton seems like a very Livi-like signing, taking a player from the lower leagues and developing them, a la Lyndon Dykes, but with Paton attracting many suitors, we may be priced out.

A hardworking striker should be targeted due to signings Isma and Kurtis Guthrie not quite working out, with out-of-contract David Wotherspoom seeming a perfect fit for the Livingston ethos.

His St Johnstone departure was a shock but is something Livi should be all over. The Lions have had to force the likes of Stephen Kelly, James Penrice and Andrew Shinnie out wide at times, with Wotherspoon a more comfortable option whilst also suited in a central role.

With budget cuts, this transfer window will be difficult for Livi to attract players. Martindale has already worked wonders on a lower budget and, hopefully, he can uncover some more gems to have another successful season.

Motherwell

Gordon Bonnes – Goggsy99, YouTube

Normally Motherwell have quite a sizeable squad turnover in the summer months and it is difficult to keep track of who is staying or going.

This year, however, Stuart Kettlewell has retained the nucleus of the squad thanks to previous managers signing players on longer contracts.

The club are considering a fee from Groningen for striker Kevin van Veen, but keeping the striker would be the best business they could do this summer.

The 29 goals he scored last term is, to me, worth more than what we can get for a 32-year-old striker who’s had the most prolific spell in his career at Motherwell.

Defenders Dan Casey and James Furlong, who has returned to Brighton after his loan spell, plus midfield playmaker Sean Goss must be kept to help the future of the team.

In terms of forwards, I think we should go back for Jon Obika or Mikael Mandron. Either striker offers different attributes but Obika has one brilliant chant the fans sing that I can’t get out of my head!

Kettlewell’s tactics have not called for wide players too often but, for an excitement factor, I’d like us to try and re-sign Gboly Ariyibi, who only made 10 appearances last season for MKE Ankaragücü in the Turkish SuperLig last season.

The team are unbeaten on the road from the middle of February, with a record of nine wins, three draws and just two losses under Kettlewell.

I look forward to seeing what the team has to offer in season 2023/24 after a very positive end to the previous campaign.

Rangers

Elaine Macdonald – the Rangers Rabble podcast

After a disappointing season last year, Rangers fans are looking to Michael Beale to overhaul the squad and continue a rebuild that should have started long before January.

The additions of Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin mid-season brought more substance to the midfield and fans will be hoping that any new signings are of a similar standard. I’m intrigued to see how Cantwell’s former Norwich team-mate Kieran Dowell fits in.

The signing of goalkeeper Jack Butland as the new number one at the age of 30 is promising and Beale has spoken about wanting to build the spine of a team that could play together for some years to come.

With Connor Goldson out until the start of the season, Filip Helander’s exit and rumours surrounding the future of Ben Davies, I would like to see defensive cover at centre-back. I was impressed with John Souttar when he had a run of games towards the end of last season and hope that he can stay fit and play an integral role in the new campaign. New recruit Dujon Sterling will be eager to play a part there too.

It’s unclear if Malik Tillman will sign permanently after his loan from Bayern Munich. At a reported fee of around £5million, it’s for Beale to decide if that is a wise investment or if the money could be better spent elsewhere. Tillman is undoubtedly a talent but, given the size of Rangers’ rebuild and the potentially limited funds available, I’m unconvinced.

There is no question that Rangers need to be more clinical in front of goal and the loss of both Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, along with the expected sale of Scott Wright, must be addressed. I would like to see us strengthen up front and bring in at least three or four attacking options. Post surgery, Kemar Roofe could be like a new signing if he can stay fit – but that’s a big if.

Ross County

Ross Morren – The County Corner

As the dust settles in Dingwall after the dramatic Premiership play-off final, focus quickly turns to next season and how can Ross County improve on their eleventh-placed finish this season.

It always tends to be a rebuild every summer transfer window at Ross County. Whether that’s due to expiring contracts, loan players returning to their parent clubs or players moving on to bigger clubs, we’re used to it by now in Dingwall. I’d expect to see seven or eight new players in, but it could be more depending on different circumstances.

Let’s start with defensive reinforcements. Finding a replacement for Alex Iacovitti will be key. He was a mainstay in the Ross County team and has only missed eleven league matches over the course of his three years at the club.

Malky may also be looking to bring in another right back, as Connor Randall was our only natural right back after Callum Johnson moved to Mansfield in the January Transfer window.

With long term injuries to Ross Callachan and Ben Paton, Nohan Kenneh returning to Hibs following his loan spell and David Cancola’s future unknown, I would expect County to be looking at both box-to-box and defensive midfielders.

On the other hand, keeping players such as Yan Dhanda and Victor Loturi at the club will be key. Both players have settled really well in Scottish football and are showing great potential, Dhanda in particular who scored key goals for County and provided a real creative spark last season.

Up front, fans will never say no to some additional firepower. Jordan White proved how important and underrated he is by some Ross County fans by grabbing eleven goals in the league, more than double his goal tally from the previous season.

Simon Murray arrived in January and made an impact while Alex Samuel felt like a new signing when he returned from his ACL injury in January.

One player most County fans would love to see back next season is Eamonn Brophy after his impressive loan spell from St Mirren.

He stuck up a great partnership with Jordan White, who was also benefiting from Brophy’s play style by having a striker playing closer to him which allowed him to get into more dangerous positions in the box rather than having to do a lot of running as the lone striker.

St Johnstone

Sam Miller – Dogger Saints podcast

Being realistic I don’t think there will be a massive intake of new players that will come in before the start of the season.

A couple of years of mismanagement had seen the squad the biggest I’d ever seen in it in my lifetime.

15 players have already departed, which should help balance the books but David Wotherspoon will be sorely missed. He was nothing short of the perfect professional with his 10 years at the club.

Five European campaigns, three major trophies and an appearance at the World Cup. Not bad for a local lad!

In terms of strengthening, a goalie to challenge the reasonably untested Scotland under-21 goalkeeper Ross Sinclair, a centre back and a goal-scoring winger would be top of my shopping list.

With our history of having success signing former players (Drey Wright and Stevie May were arguably our best players last season), Matty Kennedy, whose contract has just expired at Aberdeen, would tick a lot of the boxes.

With the news that Wigan players are allowed to rip up their contract, I’d drive down there personally to bring former club captain and double-winner Jason Kerr back up the road.

You can dream right?

St Mirren

Mark Jardine – Misery Hunters Podcast

Far from having his feet up and the latest Chris Brookmyre novel open at poolside, Stephen Robinson has been vocal already since the season’s end that recruitment is currently his top priority.

Fortifying and improving a St Mirren side which has out-performed all expectations and budget in securing a top-half finish will be no mean feat.

Top of the manager’s shopping list will be replacing the near ever-present figures of Curtis Main up front and Charles Dunne on the left side of his back three.

Main’s rise over the course of this momentous season in Paisley had been a joy to watch from the stands. If there is a harder working and more effective battering ram in Scottish football, I’ve yet to see them.

With talk already starting of tall, robust and eager forwards drawing the manager’s attention, I would expect a striker of League One or Two level in England to arrive in Paisley before too long – with Main’s jersey and place in the fan’s affections in sight.

Richard Taylor has impressed and could be the player to replace Dunne. He is comfortable on the ball and, with a range of passing that looks to exceed his predecessor, any left-footed centre half joining up with the Saints squad this summer will have stiff competition in order to nail down a starting spot.

Beyond these two immediate needs, most St Mirren fans will have a left back on their wishlist, capable of replacing the outgoing Richard Tait and unseating the remaining Scott Tanser.

Five or so new players would feel around par in terms of raising the ability of the squad to cope with injuries. However, the well-earned plaudits coming the Saints’ way after an impressive season of progress do come with risk.

Should rumoured interest in the talismanic Mark O’Hara, livewire Ryan Strain or relentless Keanu Baccus come to pass, that number will rise and sourcing real quality will be imperative.

Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.