(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Mon 4 May 2026 20:00, UK

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Claudio Braga endured a difficult afternoon as Hearts edged past Celtic’s bitter rivals Rangers with a 2-1 win at Tynecastle on Monday evening.

Dujon Sterling put the Gers ahead with a deflected strike midway through a dominant first half, before Derek McInnes’ side hit back through goals from Stephen Kingsley and Lawrence Shankland in the second period.

Hearts’ victory has left Rangers four points adrift of top spot with just three games left to play, effectively making it a straight shootout between McInnes’ men and Celtic in the coming weeks.

All eyes were on the bank holiday encounter at Tynecastle, but Hearts’ star Braga failed to produce for his team when it mattered most.

Celtic have identified Braga as a clear target to add to their attacking options ahead of next season, but they may well be having second thoughts after his latest audition against their Glasgow rivals.

Claudio Braga miles off it in Hearts win over Rangers

Braga has been one of the Scottish Premiership’s breakout stars this season, as he has netted 14 league goals during his first season in Edinburgh.

The 26-year-old has been the go-to man for McInnes’ men throughout the campaign, and he has continually produced big moments for them in their title push.

He has been among the division’s most threatening strikers since the start of the season, but he looked a shadow of himself in Monday’s victory over Rangers.

Braga managed just 32 touches at Tynecastle, as he fired just one shot, and lost over 70 per cent of his duels against the Rangers backline.

He desperately struggled to get himself into the game and looked miles below the level of quality that was needed for Hearts in that assignment.

The frontman was largely anonymous throughout his 83 minutes of action, and that could prove decisive in terms of his future, with Celtic having likely watched his every move in recent months.

If they were to make a move for him this summer, they would be hoping to get a player who could be a difference maker against the strongest opponents, but he proved incapable of that on Monday.

How much would Celtic have to pay for Braga this summer?

Football Insider revealed back in March that Celtic would need to pay over £5million for Braga this summer, with Hearts reluctant to lose their star man.

The player himself is understood to be happy at Tynecastle at the moment, and there is no expectation at the club that he will try to push for a move away ahead of next season.

Hearts are also trying to protect themselves by setting a lofty valuation for the forward, to try and ward off any potential interest from the Old Firm sides or from abroad.

His signing for £400,000 from Aalesund last summer has proven to be a masterstroke so far, and they will hope that he will only leave for a huge profit if he departs at some stage.

That is bad news for Celtic, but they may have been put off regardless after his latest display.