Scottish Premiership 2026-27 Season Preview

By Eleanor Vance — 30 July 2026 — 4 min read

The Scottish Premiership is set to resume for the 2026-27 season this Friday. The season follows a campaign where Celtic secured their 56th top-flight title, overcoming Hearts on the final day of the 2025-26 season. The upcoming season sees several managerial changes and new player acquisitions across the league.

Last season, Hearts were close to winning the title, leading the league for an extended period. They needed to avoid defeat against Celtic at Celtic Park on the final day but ultimately lost 3-1. This result allowed Celtic to claim the championship, marking a significant return for manager Martin O’Neill.

Celtic’s preparations and managerial continuity

Martin O’Neill continues as Celtic manager, providing some stability after a season that included two interim spells for him. Despite winning a domestic double, there has been some unrest among supporters regarding transfer activity. The club has signed Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh for reported combined fees of around £15m.

However, Daizen Maeda has departed to join Ipswich Town. O’Neill has expressed a desire to bring in more high-calibre players. Celtic has been linked with winger Haissem Hassan and midfielder Mika Baur. The team begins their league campaign at home against Dundee.

The Opta supercomputer, which ran 10,000 simulations for the 2026-27 season, projects Celtic as overwhelming favourites. They were crowned champions in 55.36% of these simulations, reflecting their dominance in recent years, having won 14 of the last 15 Scottish Premiership titles.

Rangers’ new additions and title aspirations

Rangers finished 10 points behind Celtic last season. Derek McInnes, who managed Hearts to a strong title challenge, has since moved to Rangers. The club has seen significant changes, with seven players joining, including Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland from Hearts.

Olwethu Makhanya, a defender from South Africa, is among the new recruits, and young Serbia international midfielder Vanja Dragojevic has also been acquired. James Tavernier, Jack Butland, and Oliver Antman have all left the club. Pre-season friendlies included a 2-1 win over St Etienne and a goalless draw with West Ham.

Rangers will start their season away to Dundee United on Friday. The Opta supercomputer indicates that Rangers are the most likely challengers to Celtic, winning the title in 26.35% of the simulations. This places them as a strong contender, despite being significantly less favoured than Celtic.

Hearts’ rebuilding phase and outlook

After their near-title success, Hearts face a rebuilding period. Manager Derek McInnes, captain Lawrence Shankland, and midfielder Cammy Devlin have all departed for Rangers. Wouter Vrancken has arrived from Sint-Truiden as the new manager. The club has seen nine players leave and 12 new players arrive.

Hearts experienced a challenging start to their European campaign, with a 6-0 loss to Sturm Graz in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier, followed by a 2-0 defeat at home in the second leg. Despite these setbacks, the club’s analytical approach to signings, backed by Tony Bloom and his Jamestown Analytics firm, offers some optimism for fans.

The Opta supercomputer suggests that Hearts are the only other team with a significant chance of winning the title, doing so in 11.86% of the simulations. This indicates they could be a threat if both Celtic and Rangers do not perform consistently.

Other league developments and VAR discussions

Beyond the top three, several other clubs have new permanent managers. These include Alfred Johansson at Motherwell and Craig McLeish at St Mirren. Motherwell, despite losing key players like Elliot Watt and Elijah Just, has retained its methodical footballing approach and players such as Tawanda Maswanhise and Lukas Fadinger.

Kilmarnock has replaced its artificial surface with natural grass. The use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) continues to be a topic of discussion in Scottish football, entering its fifth season. Associations have been advised that VAR should intervene only for “blatant” incidents. Last season, former Motherwell midfielder Elliot Watt and Derek McInnes were sanctioned for their reactions to a late penalty awarded to Celtic.

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari believes the system will improve following a meeting with the Scottish Football Association’s VAR manager, Martin Atkinson. Dundee United will host Rangers on Friday.

Source: bbc.co.uk