After one of the most intriguing Scottish Premiership title races in decades, it's all gearing up nicely for another narrative-heavy campaign next time around, not least due to Glasgow Rangers' early summer activity.

The Gers began the window with a bang after striking a swift deal for Hearts skipper, Lawrence Shankland, the Scotland striker finally sealing a belated return to Ibrox after his release as a teenager.

A move to Glasgow felt like a long time coming for the 30-year-old, as was also the case for Derek McInnes, the experienced Scot chosen to be Danny Rohl's successor after his own fine work at Tynecastle.

Perhaps sensing that this is no vintage Celtic side, the Light Blues have gone big to try and seize the moment, with those two statement arrivals potentially a sign of things to come this summer.

Rangers expected to wrap up deal ASAP to sign £5m sensation

Andrew Cavenagh has already outlined Rangers' outlook for the transfer window, set to prioritise Scottish or SPFL-proven talents, with regard to choosing between rival targets.

Among those that seemingly fit the bill is Dundee's Luke Graham, the 22-year-old centre-back seemingly inching ever closer to moving to Ibrox.

The young defender only has a year left on his contract with Dundee and is expected to move on following another fine Premiership campaign for Steven Pressley's side.

That Premiership-proven bias when it comes to singling out prospective targets may also extend to those who have already flourished in Scottish football, including former Gers talisman, Vaclav Cerny.

As reported by Football Insider, the Old Firm are looking set to make the Czech winger the first permanent signing of McInnes' tenure, seemingly well-placed to bring the 28-year-old back to Ibrox on a £5m.

The one-time loan hero is said to be open to a reunion and could well be set to make the switch 'soon', with a deal potentially there to be struck 'in the coming weeks'.

Why Cerny signing could be perfect for Shankland at Rangers

After years of speculation, not least across last summer, Shankland is finally in the door, with expectations set to be high for a player who has consistently delivered the goods in Scotland to date.

The one-time Dundee United man has scored 24 league goals across the last two seasons combined, while previously reaching that tally in each of 2022/23 and 2023/24, so remarkably prolific for the Jambos.

The pressure will be cranked up a notch in a Rangers shirt, however, with Shankland following in the footsteps of a string of high-profile strikers who have all flattered to deceive at the club, ex-Aberdeen talisman, Bojan Miovski, among them.

Thankfully, the goalscoring burden would be somewhat eased if Cerny were to join the party, however, with the left-footer previously proven something of a match-winner himself during his prior stint in Glasgow.

Signed on loan from Wolfsburg for the 2024/25 campaign, Cerny went on to prove a shining light in a difficult season for the club, so influential off the right flank.

In all, he rounded things off with 18 goals and nine assists in just over 50 games in all competitions, memorably securing cult hero status following his derby antics at Parkhead.

He's clinical - having actually only missed six 'big chances' that season - but perhaps more importantly for Shankland, he's also a real creative force, the type of player to provide the Scot with a stream of gilt-edged chances.

Indeed, in the Premiership in 2024/25, he created six 'big chances' and averaged a stellar 2.5 key passes per game. For context, his 82 total key passes were actually the most of any player in the division, ahead of James Tavernier in second (77).

That type of form has been maintained with his current side Besiktas too, with Cerny racking up 13 goals and assists in the Turkish Super Lig last season, while averaging 2.1 key passes per game. In all, his 64 key passes placed him fifth in the league.

That certainly contrasts with those currently back at Ibrox, with no player bettering Cerny's tally of eight Super Lig assists, while only Tavernier could match that average of 2.1 key passes.

Bringing the Czechia star back into the fold could then provide the creative spark that the Gers appear to be crying out for, ensuring a new, deadly combination could be fashioned of Cerny alongside Shankland.

They may not exactly be signings for the long-term, but that will matter little if this season ends in glory for McInnes and co, after yet another turbulent 2025/25 campaign.