Rangers Raid Hearts as Scottish Premiership Returns
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- Rangers appointed Derek McInnes as head coach and signed captain Lawrence Shankland from Hearts — who were three minutes from their first top-flight title in 66 years before losing to Celtic on the final day — followed by influential midfielder Cammy Devlin on a free transfer.
- Martin O'Neill returned to Celtic for a technically fourth spell as manager after guiding the club to a domestic double, with Celtic now set to break their transfer record on Bodø/Glimt striker Kasper Høgh for £11m plus add-ons.
- Motherwell lost manager Jens Berthel Askou to Toulouse, while five of last season's PFA Scotland Team of the Year players — including Players' Player Elijah Just and goalkeeper Calum Ward — have departed, and top scorer Tawanda Maswanhise is still linked away.
- Hearts and Aberdeen lead the league's recruitment drive with 10 new signings each under new managers Wouter Vrancken and Stephen Robinson, chasing four rather than five European places this term.
- Across Tannadice the picture is split: Dundee United added nine new faces under Jim Goodwin to build on seventh place, while city rivals Dundee lost 13 first-team players including standout defender Luke Graham to Stoke.
- St Johnstone returned to the top flight after a year out, retaining most of their Championship-winning squad under Simo Valakari, while promoted Falkirk lost Player of the Year Calvin Miller to Hearts, Young Player of the Year Filip Lissah back to Swansea, and Barney Stewart to West Brom.
Why it matters: Hearts' near-title upset and Rangers' subsequent raid on their squad have reshuffled the Scottish Premiership's balance of power ahead of 2026/27. With Celtic's £11m record bid for Høgh, Motherwell's PFA-laden squad gutted, and reduced European places up for grabs, the new campaign opens with more competitive uncertainty than the final standings suggested.
