The 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season gets set for kick-off
Celtic and Rangers have established a duopoly of the Scottish title since 1986, yet Hearts were minutes away from ending that drought on the final day of last season.
Led by the shrewd leadership of Derek McInnes (more on him later), Hearts only needed a draw at Parkhead to win their first league title in 66 years. Ultimately, Celtic won the game 3-1 and shattered the dreams of thousands of Hearts’ fans across the country.
While the final couple of weeks were marred by refereeing controversies in matches involving both Hearts and Celtic, there was no doubting the champions’ mentality in the end.
It’s hard to believe ten weeks have passed since that dramatic finale at Parkhead. A World Cup has come and gone in the meantime, but thoughts now turn back to domestic matters, as the Premiership returns this weekend.
Will Celtic win a sixth consecutive title? How will Hearts cope having lost McInnes and a slew of players? Can Rangers offer a sustainable title challenge in what is yet another new era for the club?
All these questions – and plenty more – will be discussed in this in-depth preview of the new campaign. Lets hope it’s every bit as entertaining than the last one.
Celtic chasing six in a row
Martin O’Neil led Celtic from the brink of a crisis to a domestic double, but will he replicate that feat this season?
The wily veteran signed a one-year contract to lead the Parkhead side once more, although the situation behind the scenes is far less comfortable than it appears.
At the time of writing, Celtic’s incomings so far consist of Colombian forward Camilo Durán, who joins from Qarabağ, while Kasper Høgh, the scrouge of Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid in the Champions League last term, arrives from Bodø/Glimt.
In contrast, a total of nine players have left the club, including crowd favourite Daizen Maeda and O’Neil must reinvigorate the squad should he wish to lead Celtic into the group stages of the Champions League.
It feels like Déjà vu. Every summer the same concerns arise ahead of a new campaign. Despite Celtic’s annual turnover for the 2024/25 campaign estimated at £143.6m, the club saw a revenue gap of nearly £120m compared to Hearts over the same period.
Why then, are the club struggling to be competitive in the transfer market? Michael Nicholson, Celtic’s Chief Executive, has previously stated that it has been “difficult” to lure new signings to Parkhead due to competing with an abundance of riches down south.
Durán and Høgh add plenty of Champions League experience having scored ten goals between them in the competition last season. O’Neil, however, is running out of time to bring in more players before the transfer window closes.
There is no doubting O’Neil’s status as a deity in the east end of Glasgow. Should Celtic get off to a poor start amid the lack of signings combined with the unrest between supporters and the board, it might well be an unhappy ending to this fruitful relationship.
The pressure is on.
A new, new era beckons at Ibrox
We’ve been here before, haven’t we? Each summer since 2021 has seen Rangers begin pre-season with a brand new manager.
A total of two trophies have been won in that period. Derek McInnes is the latest man to take over at Ibrox and perhaps this appointment is the most logical one since Giovanni van Bronckhorst five years ago.
McInnes is a former Rangers player, thus knowing the pressure and expectation expected at Ibrox. Being in the dugout, however, brings a different sort of pressure, but McInnes has earned his opportunity.
He was minutes away from leading Hearts to a stunning title triumph, but it always seemed inevitable that the Scot would be targeted as Danny Röhl’s replacement the moment he departed for Austrian giants RB Salzburg.
McInnes’ first job was to raid his former club for striker Lawrence Shankland, who will add plenty of firepower to the squad.
Cammy Devlin also followed from his old side, while Dan Neil, Ivor Pandur, Ross McCrorie and Vanja Dragojević have joined the Rangers revolution across the previous few weeks.
With a solid core now in place, McInnes will look to add another signing or two before the end of the window to give his side that extra bit of quality.
Rangers ended pre-season unbeaten and although the team are a work in progress, the onus is on McInnes to enjoy a productive start to domestic matters. Last season, Russell Martin failed to win any of his opening five Premiership matches and his tenure ended as swiftly as it began.
McInnes simply cannot afford a poor start, especially given how desperate Rangers are for success.
A win at Dundee United on Friday evening could set the tone for a positive campaign, especially as the games come thick and fast before the first international break in September.
McInnes deserves this opportunity. Now all he needs to win over the Ibrox support is to lead the club to silverware, any silverware, this season.
A summer of change at Hearts
What might’ve been for Hearts had they held on to win the title last season. Would McInnes, Shankland and Devlin all have left? It’s hard to say, but the club are significantly weaker without that influential trio.
Wouter Vrancken is the man tasked with leading the Jambos out of McInnes’ shadow, yet the early signs have been far from ideal.
A spot in the second round of Champions League qualification was secured after finishing runners-up last term, but Hearts have already been knocked out and it isn’t even August.
Austrian champions Sturm Graz eased to a 6-0 aggregate victory over a shellshocked Hearts side and it could turn out to be a long season ahead for Vrancken and his men.
That result drops the Tynecastle side into the Europa League, with a clash against either Benfica or St. Gallen awaiting in the third qualifying round.
Domestically, ties against Aberdeen, Dundee United and Falkirk present a tricky opening to the Premiership season and a poor start could place the manager under pressure.
Following the news that Tony Bloom secured a £9.86m deal to buy a 29% stake in the capital club in June 2025, the Brighton owner claimed that Hearts were going to be a “significant factor in Scottish football right here, right now and for the long term.”
Last season offered a glimpse of what the future of the Premiership could look like with Hearts challenging for the title.
Bloom’s long-term vision of the club is admirable, but given the scale of turnover in both the squad and staff this summer, another title challenge feels unlikely.
Aberdeen, Hibs and Motherwell eyeing third place
Hearts’ challenge last season should inspire the likes of Aberdeen, Hibs and Motherwell that splitting the Old Firm is possible.
Stephen Robinson is set for his first full season in charge of Aberdeen, making some impressive signings so far this summer. Brad Lyons and Lewis Mayo offer plenty of top flight experience, while Connor Ronan and Toyosi Olusanya arrive from MLS.
The Dons finished eighth last term, winning just nine of their 38 league matches. Robinson worked wonders at St Mirren, securing multiple top-six finishes and winning a League Cup with the Buddies. The pressure is different in the northeast, though, that’s for sure.
Motherwell enjoyed an excellent campaign under Jens Berthel Askou, but that success came at a price as the Dane departed for the ambitious Ligue 1 side Toulouse in May.
Alfred Johansson is the man tasked with replicating that fourth place finish, although he will be without players such as Elliot Watt and Elijah Just, who have joined Samsunspor and Swansea respectively.
Hibs finished fifth last term and were overshadowed by the exploits of city rivals Hearts, winning just one of the four Edinburgh derbies played.
David Gray has been in charge since June 2024 and this stability is key should Hibs wish to challenge for their second third-place finish in three seasons.
A dismal loss to Kosovan side Malisheva in the first leg of their Conference League qualifying tie, however, is hardly the most encouraging start and things must improve heading into the opening weekend of the Premiership.
Elsewhere, Dundee and Dundee United will be hoping for better seasons this year as both finished outside the top six. St. Mirren preserved their top flight status thanks to a playoff victory over Patrick Thistle, while Kilmarnock looked revitalised under the leadership of Neil McCann during the second half of 2025/26.
John McGlynn was named manager of the year after leading Falkirk to a top-six finish in their first Premiership campaign for 16 years. While hopes are high for another good season, finishing tenth or higher will surely satisfy most supporters.
Finally, St. Johnstone return to the top flight after spending a season in the Championship. Simo Valakari will be determined to be competitive on their return to the Premiership.
With Hearts unlikely to offer another challenge, the chasing pack could take advantage in a bid to split the Old Firm this season.
The title will end up in Glasgow once more, though. While previous seasons have featured Celtic as the heavy favourites, things could be a lot more unpredictable this time around.
Strap in, folks, as there could be plenty of twists and turns along the way in what promises to be another exciting Premiership season.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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