‘Celtic and Rangers face hurdle after £10m deal agreed’
Celtic and Rangers are facing a major hurdle after a £10million deal has been completed.
Celtic were crowned Scottish Premiership champions for the fourth year in a row after finishing 17 points above their Old Firm rivals in the 2024-25 campaign.
Brendan Rodgers’s side also enjoyed a successful season in the Champions League before suffering defeat against Bayern Munich in the knockout round play-offs.
Celtic landed £43million in prize money across the 2024-25 season, having also beaten Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final.
Rangers endured a disappointing campaign after they failed to win a trophy.
However, the US consortium’s recent takeover has now provided a renewed sense of optimism for what’s to come at Ibrox.
Rangers’ new owners are expected to make big transfer funds available to Russell Martin this summer as they look to compete for trophies next season.
Tony Bloom shares Celtic and Rangers claim after done deal
Celtic still have the upper hand on Rangers after increasing the financial gap between the two sides in recent years.
The Hoops improved their revenue to a Scottish record figure of £124.6million in 2023-24, while a turnover of £88.3million was posted at Ibrox across the same period.
The Old Firm rivals could soon have more than just each other to worry about following a new development in Edinburgh.
Brighton owner Tony Bloom has now completed his £9.86million deal to buy a 29 per cent stake in Hearts.
The 55-year-old, who also owns shares in Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise and Australian club Melbourne Victory, will be represented on the board at Tynecastle by James Franks as a non-executive director.
Hearts already had a strong relationship with Bloom after working with his recruitment company, Jamestown Analytics.
The English businessman said he wants to “disrupt the pattern of domination which has been in place for far too long” within Scottish football.
No club outside of the Old Firm has won the Scottish top flight since Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen were crowned champions in the 1984–85 season.
Hearts finished the latest campaign in seventh place.
Celtic and Rangers upside revealed after confirmed news
Hearts could be about to present Celtic and Rangers with a major hurdle as they attempt to close the gap on the Glasgow sides.
Bloom has worked wonders at Brighton over the past few years, with his recruitment company utilised to unearth hidden gems from multiple different markets.
The Premier League club signed Moises Caicedo from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for £4million in 2021 before selling him to Chelsea for £115million two years later.
Although the financial capabilities are much lower at Hearts, Bloom’s experience and investment could help them consistently compete for trophies in the years to come.
There is some potential upside for Celtic and Rangers as more competition will make the Scottish Premiership a more attractive proposition.
That could lead to higher broadcast money and the chance to bring better players through the door.
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