Five Scottish Premiership players English clubs should sign in January

As far as footballing talent pools are concerned, Scotland could be deemed an underappreciated market.

You only have to look at the impact Virgil van Dijk has made in English football since his £13m move from Celtic to Southampton in 2015 to recognise the fruits of picking up gems north of the border.

Liverpool colossus Van Dijk is only one of many players to have shone in the Premier League following transfers from Scotland, with the likes of Reds teammate Andy Robertson, Stiliyan Petrov and John McGinn also making a successful transition from Scottish football to the English game.

We examine which players currently plying their trade in the Scottish Premiership could be capable of showcasing their talent at a higher level, whether that be in England or abroad.

Nicolas Kuhn

Club: Celtic
Position: Right winger
Age: 25
Market value (Transfermarkt): €10.00m

If a vote was held for the best player in the Scottish Premiership at the halfway stage of the season, Celtic's Nicolas Kuhn would win by a landslide.

Experiencing teething problems following his arrival at Celtic from Rapid Wien for £3m in January 2024 - quite literally following wisdom teeth surgery - the German has proved a revelation for the Hoops so far this term.

Catching the eye with some scintillating displays for Brendan Rodgers' side on their pre-season tour of the United States in July 2024 - notching a superb brace in a 4-3 victory against Manchester City - the fleet-footed Kuhn has developed into one of Celtic's most important players in the 2024/25 campaign.

A left-footed right winger who thrives when cutting infield to make things happen in the final third, Kuhn is amongst the leaders for both goals and assists in the Scottish Premiership this season to date.

Kuhn's breathtaking form has not only been reserved on the domestic scene for Celtic, either, with the former Ajax and Bayern Munich prospect also demonstrating his quality in the UEFA Champions League - scoring a terrific brace in the Bhoys' 3-1 win over RB Leipzig at Parkhead during the league phase.

With a number of Premier League clubs seemingly in the market for a right-winger, Celtic may be hard tasked to keep Kuhn in Glasgow beyond the January transfer window as they hunt a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title.

Potential destinations: Brentford, Fulham, Newcastle, Brighton.

Hamza Igamane

Club: Rangers
Position: Striker
Age: 22
Market value (Transfermarkt): €2.50m

Another Old Firm star who has reportedly drawn admiring glances from clubs south of the border and across the continent is Rangers forward Hamza Igamane.,

An unknown quantity when arriving at Rangers from FAR Rabat in his homeland of Morocco for a fee of £1.7m in the summer of 2024, the 22-year-old striker seems to be improving with every passing game for the Govan giants.

Beginning the campaign in reserve with Nigeria international Cyriel Dessers the preferred option up front for Rangers boss Philippe Clement, Igamane now looks to have established himself as the Gers' main man in attack following a series of inspired individual displays.

At times raw in his general play, perhaps inevitably given he had never played football outside of Morocco prior to his move to Scotland, Igamane has wowed Rangers supporters with his skill and infectious energy at the top end of the pitch.

Proving a thorn in the side of opposition teams both in Scotland and in the UEFA Europa League, it has come of little surprise to hear of reported transfer interest in Igamane merely a matter of months on from his arrival in Glasgow.

When it comes to identifying striking talent, one of the most sought-after commodities in football, you often have to act quick - and in the case of Igamane at Rangers it may not take long before the vultures of the Premier League start to swirl.

Potential destinations: Everton, Newcastle, West Ham, Lille, Atalanta.

Lennon Miller

Club: Motherwell
Position: Central midfielder
Age: 18
Market value (Transfermarkt): €4.00m

When it comes to homegrown talent in Scotland at present, there is one undoubted jewel in the form of Motherwell's Lennon Miller.

The son of former Scotland international Lee Miller, Lennon is already one of Motherwell's most indispensable players despite remaining a teenager, even captaining the side this season in the absence of regular skipper Paul McGinn.

A midfielder with a lovely blend of technical quality and grit without the ball, Miller plays the game in a mature manner which defies his tender age.

Following the recent success of Scottish football midfield exports in the Premier League and on the continent including John McGinn, Ryan Christie, Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson, do not be surprised to see Motherwell's Miller rear his head as the latest off the conveyor belt.

Potential destinations: Celtic, Southampton, Newcastle, Leeds United, Atalanta.

James Wilson

Club: Hearts
Position: Striker
Age: 17
Market value (Transfermarkt): €800k

Becoming a first team starter at 17 years old at any level takes some doing and that is exactly what Hearts striker James Wilson has achieved during the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign.

Born in the Scottish capital, Wilson captured national attention after coming off the bench to coolly slot home a late equaliser in Hearts' 1-1 draw against Hibernian in the Edinburgh Derby in October 2024.

Wilson looks every bit a natural goalscorer, demonstrating a calmness in front of goal and a range of different types of finishes in his fledgling Hearts career.

Goalscorers are the first players to garner transfer interest, never mind those who are doing it at the age of 17, and should Wilson continue to hit the net for Hearts at his current rate, the Jambos could pocket themselves a pretty penny for their homegrown academy graduate.

Potential destinations: Celtic, Rangers, Aston Villa, Leeds United.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

Club: Celtic
Position: Centre-back
Age: 27
Market value (Transfermarkt): €14.00m

As the outstanding side in Scotland, who have thrived domestically and in the UEFA Champions League this season, it is to be expected that Celtic players will attract the most significant transfer interest from England and across Europe.

Alongside in-form winger Kuhn, American central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is a player whose performances in the green and white hoops are unlikely to have gone unnoticed.

Signing from Tottenham initially on loan in August 2021 before completing a permanent £6m move the following summer, it'd be very difficult to argue against Carter-Vickers representing the best defender in Scotland by a distance in recent years as Celtic have romped to three successive Scottish Premiership titles.

The son of a former NBA player Howard Carter, the defender boasts outstanding athleticism, allowing him to dominate opposition attackers both in one-v-one duels and aerial battles.

As a member of a Celtic backline led by two possession-oriented managers in Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead, Carter-Vickers is also accomplished playing out from the back and operating in a high defensive line.

Although a full United States international, 27-year-old Carter-Vickers has struggled to nail down a consistent starting place for Mauricio Pochettino's side and may feel a transfer move away from Celtic to a more competitive league could help boost his international credentials ahead of a home World Cup for his country in 2026.

Potential destinations: Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray, Atalanta, Brighton, Leicester City.