Rangers transfer news: Ibrox fans give huge answer to one particular shock signing | OneFootball

The Old Firm drama is never-ending! Just when you think the summer transfer window is all about serene negotiation and strategic signing, comes the bombshell—Celtic free agent Greg Taylor potentially heading to Ibrox (Scottish Sun). And boy, have Rangers fans exploded over this one! It’s like suggesting a red devil might slip into a blue devil’s (forgive the mixed metaphor here). The reaction is like a resounding “No!” You can almost hear the collective groan echoing through Glasgow as Rangers supporters slam the idea of welcoming Taylor to the club with open arms. But why such fury over a single player? Well, it’s not just any player we’re talking about here; it’s Greg Taylor, a name practically synonymous with Celtic’s recent successes and their bitter rivalry with Rangers. To Rangers fans, Taylor isn’t just a player; he’s a part of the backbone of their fiercest adversaries. For many fans, the prospect of even something as simple as Taylor wearing the famous light blue jersey of Rangers would be akin to a betrayal on the magnitude of handing over their playbook to the opponent.

Rangers fans aren’t exactly known for their measured approach to all things concerning the Old Firm. We’re talking about a group of people who, even in the best of times, seem close to spontaneous combustion just because of the tribal pride involved. And you can say the same for Celtic supporters as well. These aren’t just two sides of the same coin; they’re two sides of a much larger, deeper, and fiercer historic and quasi-religious divide that I won’t even begin to try and explain here. So when it suddenly came out that this ‘done deal’ might turn Taylor into some sort of double agent, it was only natural that Rangers fans would react with utter disgust. But why? And is their reaction even warranted?

Rangers’ fans, let’s be honest, aren’t exactly the most subtle bunch when it comes to matters of the Old Firm. They thrive on passion and loyalty as much as they do on winning silverware. So, when it was revealed that Greg Taylor might very well don the blue kit next season, it wasn’t too surprising to see the immediate reaction on social media: everything from memes mocking the very idea to fervent tweets questioning his loyalty and to the buzz of forums that old and young fans alike turn to for heated debate. To reduce the response to one shout: “No way!” “Rangers and Celtic players should never, ever switch sides!” It’s understandable. Yet…

The emotional layer of this transfer saga covers up an interesting tactical question: Is Greg Taylor really suited to the kind of game Steven Gerrard or his successor, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, wants to play? Yes, Taylor has the kind of pedigree you’d expect a proper left-back to have at the highest levels of Scottish football, but firing him out of the starting blocks—given the ferocious fan backlash—might seem a more tempting thing to do than the practical alternative: Taylor could offer Rangers’ left flank a kind of depth and quality that would only be rivaled by bringing in someone with the same or better prowess, but without nearly as many combustible Old Firm associations.

At its core, though, this saga isn’t just about football skills or transfer plans. It captures the essence of what makes Scottish football so thrilling and unique. It’s not just rivalries between clubs or even between fan bases. It’s deeper than that. It’s a clash of cultures, with Celtic hailing from Glasgow’s east end, a largely Irish Catholic demographic, and Rangers from the west end, where the Protestant working-class “Norn Iron” community has often set up shop. That clash makes the Old Firm derby a kind of proxy war and brings a whole different intensity to the way each club operates. And it’s why Rangers fans, in this case, were never going to welcome a former Celtic player.