Lewis Ferguson and Josh Doig have sealed moves from the SPFL to Italy’s Serie A today. The Scottish duo had been linked with Celtic prior to Ange Postecoglou taking over in the summer of 2021 and now they have sealed moves, albeit not to The Scottish Champions but to Italian outfits Bologna and Hella Verona.
Ferguson, a central midfielder, leaves Pittodrie for £3m after making 183 appearances for The Reds and scoring 37 goals. In this time, he was capped four times for Scotland. Despite being the son of Derek and the nephew of Barry Ferguson, the player added steel and bite to Aberdeen which prompted links to Paradise. However, for the obvious family connections, it was always a divisive issue. As it turns out, Celtic didn’t make an approach and the player has decided to follow the paths of Aaron Hickey and Liam Henderson in making the switch to Italian football.
Doig, meanwhile, leaves Hibernian for a deal worth around £3m. The 20-year-old was repeatedly linked with Celtic as an alternative contender to Greg Taylor. However, the deal for Alexander Bernabei put an end to any suggestion that the player would swap the Green and White of Edinburgh for the Green and White of Glasgow.
Both players will look at the Hickey example, who left Hearts for a similar fee in 2020. Now, the fullback has become a Scotland Internationalist as well as completing a £17m deal, including add-ons. Celtic were again linked with this player.
It is positive that Scottish players are being scouted across Europe and the game’s profile is raised. As a result, clubs will be vigilant for deals in the Scottish market but this is a double-edged sword as players get tapped up. Celtic have conducted their business efficiently and effectively this window, retaining Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota on permanent deals whilst adding Benjamin Siegrist and Bernabei.
