Greg Taylor to Rangers: O’Rourke updates on ‘big surprise’ transfer
Greg Taylor will only move to Rangers as a last resort with his Celtic career looking set to come to an end, sources have told Football Insider.
Taylor is in line to become a free agent this summer despite being an underrated cog in Celtic’s team, with the 27-year-old arguably being the recipient of unjust criticism from several Celtic fans this season.
Still at peak age for a defender in any position, let alone a box-to-box left-back, Taylor is expected to have a number of clubs interested in signing him, both in Scotland and further afield in the MLS.
Sources have told Football Insider that Dinamo Zagreb tried and failed to sign Taylor in January and remain keen on bringin him in for free this summer, but Rangers could also launch a shock swoop.
The 49ers Enterprises takeover is set to be transformational at Ibrox, and though Rangers are keen to complete big-money signings like Vaclav Cerny’s as soon as possible, they’ll also be in the free agent market.
However, Taylor crossing the Glasgow divide once his Parkhead contract expires looks unlikely given the potential ramifications on his legacy at Celtic, making it more likely that he’ll assess other options first.
Rangers transfer a last resort for Greg Taylor
Kieran Tierney’s imminent return to Celtic Park this summer, having agreed a pre-contract to move from Arsenal, will likely spell the end of Taylor’s career in green and white, with no new contract on the table.
Football Insider revealed in April 2024 that Celtic planned to open talks with Taylor over a new deal, but as things stand, he’s in line to depart for free this summer and consider his options on the open market.
However, sources have told Football Insider that in anticipation of the inevitable from Celtic fans if he were to move to Rangers, Taylor will look at all other options before even considering making that switch.
Greg Taylor to join unique group if Rangers move realised
Players crossing the Old Firm divide is almost unheared of given the rivalry between Rangers and Celtic, with only six playing for both clubs since the end of the First World War and none making direct moves.
Even Mo Johnston and Kenny Miller – arguably the two most well-known modern players to have donned both jerseys – had seasons at Nantes and Derby County between their moves to Glasgow’s rival clubs.
Taylor would technically fall into the same bracket as a free agent, and even though many Celtic fans are happy to see the back of their long-term number three, it’s unsurprising to see him looking elsewhere before making such a career-defining move.