Alan Brazil: Did Rangers or Celtic do the better business in the transfer window?

It was a low-key transfer window for both Celtic and Rangers. But I reckon it’s going to be a high-octane title run-in.

So the question is, who did the better business in January?

The teams took very different approaches.

Celtic spent the best part of £6 million on two young prospects from abroad.

Rangers, meanwhile, brought two lads in on loan until the end of the season.

That looks to me like the Hoops are building for the future, while the Gers are thinking more short term.

Whether the approach from the Ibrox club can be put down to desire rather than necessity, I’m not sure.

The Light Blues have come a long way since they were flung through the trap door to League Two in 2012.

Steven Gerrard has put together a side that is now giving Celtic a run for their money.

But despite their finances being a whole lot less bleaker than they were under Craig Whyte, a burning question remains.

Did Rangers have the money to be splashing out big transfer fees during January?

I’m not so sure.

But whatever the reasons for their strategy, they have simply got to stop Celtic winning 10-in-a-row.

If they do that this season by killing the run at eight, even better for all Bluenoses.

Steven Gerrard raved about Ianis Hagi – son of Romanian legend, Gheorghe Hagi – after sealing his loan deal from Genk in Belgium.

And if the kid’s anything like as talented as his dad was, Gers fans will love watching him.

Florian Kamberi, meanwhile, was an interesting one, coming from Hibs until the end of the season.

His attitude has been questioned in the past.

After appearing a decent player when he arrived at Easter Road, he had a bust-up with Neil Lennon while he was Hibs manager, and was never quite the same player for the Hibees again.

However, if Rangers get the hungry, focused version of Kamberi, he’ll do a job for them in Jermain Defoe’s absence.

There were plenty of players shipped out by the Gers in this window too, as there were at Celtic.

But both sides hung onto their star men.

That’s probably the best bit of business either side did.

Rangers still have Alfredo Morelos, Celtic still have Odsonne Edouard.

Both will be vital to their teams over the coming weeks – especially when the teams return to Europa League action later this month.

That will be an additional test of their squads and the business they did in January.

Neither will complain, though, because they want to be fighting on multiple fronts.

That’s what top teams do.

But I reckon, on the whole, Celtic are looking slightly stronger now the window has closed.

It’s not so much down to the two guys they have brought in, Patryk Klimala and Ismaila Soro – though big things are expected of both.

I’m most excited about Leigh Griffiths’ return.

He’s been straight among the goals after coming back into the side alongside Edouard.

I love the look of those two as a partnership, and if I were a Premiership defender right now, I’d be dreading coming up against both of them.

They have already helped Celtic take advantage after Rangers dropped points against Hearts.

Will they continue to do the business?

I still think we’ll see a nip-and-tuck title race. But it’s in the Hoops’ hands. All they – and Rangers – can do is keep on going.