Scottish Premiership Update
Celtic has been a dominant force in Scottish football for over a decade, leaving Rangers in their wake. The Hoops have clinched 14 out of the last 15 Scottish Premiership titles and are the overwhelming favorites to secure their fifth consecutive title this season. Hearts are expected to emerge as Celtic’s primary title challengers, rather than Rangers.
Concerns at Celtic Park and Ibrox
Rangers have faced significant financial difficulties, leading to their demotion to the fourth tier of Scottish football in 2012, which allowed Celtic to pull ahead both on the field and financially. Both clubs are tied with 55 top-flight titles, but Rangers currently find themselves in crisis, searching for a new manager after the dismissal of Russell Martin due to their worst-ever start to a season. Following a takeover by a US consortium, Rangers invested heavily in new players over the summer, while Celtic fans have expressed frustration over a lack of spending from their board. Following the latest update from the Scottish Premiership, we’ve analyzed the rosters of both Old Firm clubs and assessed the shifts in player valuations.
Celtic: Notable Market Value Changes
Celtic has started the domestic season strongly, remaining unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership, just two points behind Hearts. However, their European campaign has been disappointing, as they failed to qualify for the Champions League after being eliminated by Kairat Almaty and remain winless in the Europa League.
Only three Celtic players saw increases in their market values following the update, with more details available here. Sebastian Tounekti received the highest increase due to his transfer fee, while Colby Donovan has impressed since joining the first team. On the other hand, nine players experienced downgrades, including Arne Engles, whose value fell by €2 million as he continues to underperform since his €13 million transfer from Augsburg in 2024.
Rangers: Notable Market Value Changes
The start of the season has been disastrous for Rangers, leading to Martin’s exit after he quickly lost the support of fans. Despite spending €29.7 million on new signings, the team currently sits in eighth place in the league. Due to the significant investment in new players, six Rangers players saw value increases, including four of the new signings.
Nicolas Raskin, who was removed from the squad earlier this season, saw the largest increase at €12 million, reflecting his importance and regular starting role with Belgium. Five players faced downgrades, with Mikey Moore and Nasser Djiga each dropping by €2 million. Both players arrived from English Premier League clubs with high expectations but have yet to impress, with Moore particularly struggling to meet the hype.
Celtic and Rangers: Market Value Trends
Celtic’s overall squad value fell by €4.45 million following the update, going from €137.1 million to €132.65 million, yet they still boast the most valuable squad in Scotland, with a value €28.2 million higher than Rangers, whose squad dropped by €250,000 to €104.45 million. The gap in squad values has remained consistent over the past year.
Examining squad values over the last five seasons, it becomes clear how significantly Celtic has distanced themselves from their rivals. In October 2021, Rangers’ squad value (€105 million) exceeded Celtic’s (€65.7 million) by nearly €40 million. Since then, the two clubs have generally followed opposing trajectories. Rangers last won the league title in 2021 under Steven Gerrard and reached the following season’s Europa League final, whereas Celtic has firmly reestablished their dominance under both Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers, as evidenced by the shift in market values.
