Celtic Women have announced two new signings after rumours were swirling on deadline day. They have landed one permanent addition, and another on loan, taking their total incomings during the winter transfer window to four.
On February 6, Celtic announced that they have snatched up promising talent Evie Rabjohn on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The young defender started at Birmingham City's academy before making the move to Aston Villa to play senior football. She made her debut in the Women's Super League in 2022/23, showing up in Villa's 2-0 victory over Leicester City.
Ahead of the 2023/24 season, she earned a move to English giants Manchester United. She signed her first full-time professional contract at the club when she was 18 and made her debut for the club in a cup victory over Everton.
After a loan to Sunderland for the first half of the season, Rabjohn now joins up with Celtic permanently. She adds to a strong back-line and will be looking to make an immediate impact in Scotland.
Celtic also announced the loan signing of 22-year-old Maddi Wilde from London City Lionesses. She is a versatile defender who came through Bristol City's youth setup and was part of the senior side that earned promotion to the WSL.
She would then be sent out on loan to London City, where she quickly became a regular starter. The club snatched her up on a permanent two-year deal in the summer of 2024, and are now sending her out on loan to Celtic for the remainder of the season.
How these players fit in at Celtic
Rabjohn brings a lot to Celtic that will help Grant Scott fight for the Scottish Women's Premier League title. Playing as a centre-back, she brings energy and composure to the back. She already possesses these key skills at the age of 20, and the defender is just going to develop further.
If the Hoops can keep her on their books, there is no doubt that she is going to be a part of the backline for years to come. If a club with better finances does come calling, then Celtic will make a massive profit if they choose to sell her in the future.
Rabjohn has also been capped at youth levels for England across multiple age groups, so she brings international experience, as well as experience working with the likes of Manchester United.
Wilde is a right-back who offers brilliant game sense, positional awareness, and great defensive abilities. She likes to get forward to support attacks from deep, but is also effective at holding her position when defending. Notably, she is comfortable defending against fast wingers, which is necessary against sides like Glasgow City, Rangers, Hibs and Hearts in the SWPL.
She brings more reinforcement to the right-back position, but is another offensive weapon who will offer support for Emma Lawton. She can fill multiple roles across the backline, as can Rabjohn, bringing a lot to Grant Scott's side.
Something that will get Celtic fans excited is that Wilde spoke to her about the club and their ambitions, which is what convinced her to join. Celtic could finally be on the up again after some difficult times, and hopefully, we'll witness another SWPL title lift before long.