Celtic's January Plans: Gineitis Returns to Spotlight

Celtic are already sketching out their winter business and Gvidas Gineitis is back on the board.

The Scottish champions intend to revive their interest in the Torino and Lithuania midfielder when the January window opens, with the 22-year-old again viewed as a live option for the heart of Brendan Rodgers’ squad. Celtic tracked Gineitis previously and, with the midfield likely to be reshaped mid-season, the Serie A youngster has re-emerged as a serious target.

While one deal is being lined up for the future, another could be edging towards something more permanent in the present.

Oliver Sorenson has barely unpacked his bags in Glasgow, but the new Celtic midfielder has made his intentions clear. The 24-year-old, on loan from Parma, wants the move to become more than a short stay. He sees Celtic as a stage, not a stopover, and is already talking about turning the temporary switch into a full-time role in Rodgers’ engine room.

Sorenson’s education has not been confined to training pitches in Italy. He has been studying the game through a very specific lens – that of Scotland international Scott McTominay. The Napoli midfielder, once a Serie A opponent, has become something of a reference point for Sorenson, who is keen to apply the lessons learned from facing and watching the 29-year-old. The aim is simple: bring that blend of physicality, timing and late surges into the box to Celtic Park.

Across the city, another loanee is starting a very different journey.

Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeness has sent his best wishes to Badredine Bouanani after the winger sealed a loan move to Rangers. The 21-year-old leaves the Bundesliga side in search of minutes and impact, and arrives in Glasgow with his former boss publicly backing his next step. Rangers gain a livewire wide option; Stuttgart hope regular football hardens a talent that has only flickered so far.

Not everyone in Edinburgh is looking ahead with such optimism.

At Hibernian, David Gray cut a frustrated figure after a damaging night at Easter Road. The head coach did not hide his anger at Jack Iredale’s dismissal in the 3-1 home defeat to Hearts, branding the defender’s red card “needless”. In a fixture that demands composure and street smarts, Hibs lost both, and Gray knows indiscipline of that kind can derail more than just one derby.

Transfer plans, loan gambles, and costly lapses in judgment: Scottish football’s margins are already tightening, and January has not even arrived yet.