In a dramatic twist in the Scottish transfer market, Rangers manager Russell Martin has publicly hit out at Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers following a sensational hijack of one of the Ibrox side’s top summer transfer targets.
The player in question—who had been closely linked with a move to Rangers and was reportedly just days away from completing the deal—was instead lured to Parkhead after Brendan Rodgers cut short his off-season break to personally intervene in talks. The sudden U-turn has sparked frustration inside the Rangers camp, with sources indicating Martin felt blindsided by the aggressive move.
In response, Martin issued a terse nine-word message widely interpreted as a direct warning to his Celtic counterpart: “There’s a line you don’t cross in football.”
The statement, though brief, has sent shockwaves through Scottish football, intensifying an already fierce rivalry. Martin, who had made the unnamed player a top priority in his summer rebuild, is said to be furious over the timing and manner of Celtic’s intervention—especially given the personal rapport he had built with the player and his representatives.
Insiders close to Ibrox say the club now feel Brendan Rodgers acted “opportunistically,” taking advantage of delays in contract finalization on the Rangers side. Others suggest Celtic were always lurking, waiting for the right moment to swoop in.
While Brendan Rodgers has yet to publicly respond, sources at Celtic Park have described the move as “decisive and ambitious,” arguing that the club did nothing wrong and were simply more proactive.
The fallout from the transfer twist has only added fuel to what promises to be a fiery upcoming season between the Old Firm giants. With Martin already facing scrutiny over recruitment and Celtic looking to maintain domestic dominance under Brendan Rodgers, tensions off the pitch now seem just as fierce as the battles on it.
Whether the player lives up to the hype remains to be seen—but one thing is clear: the gloves are already off between Russell Martin and Brendan Rodgers.
