Celtic complete loan swoop for AC Milan left-back Diego Laxalt

Celtic have completed a deadline day loan swoop for AC Milan and Uruguay left-back Diego Laxalt.

The 27-year-old flew into Glasgow to complete a season-long deal less than three hours before Scotland’s midnight transfer deadline.

The former Genoa player has won 24 caps for Uruguay and has been brought in to provide competition for Greg Taylor.

Celtic have sold 20-year-old forward Jack Aitchison to Barnsley. The club’s youngest goalscorer, who netted against Motherwell at the age of 16, will be immediately loaned to an English League Two club but has signed a three-year deal with the Yorkshire side.

Aberdeen have re-signed left-back Greg Leigh on a short-term deal following his exit from NAC Breda. Leigh, who has signed until January, had an injury-hit loan spell at Pittodrie last season.

The Dons earlier loaned forward Bruce Anderson to Ayr for the season with an option to recall the 22-year-old in January.

Livingston were the first Scottish Premiership club off the mark on transfer deadline day as they took midfielder Josh Mullin back to the Tony Macaroni Arena.

Mullin helped Livi to successive promotions before achieving a personal hat-trick with Ross County and he returns to West Lothian after requesting a move from Dingwall last week.

There was also a departure from Gary Holt’s squad as the Lions ripped up Aymen Souda’s contract in order to allow the homesick French midfielder to return across the Channel.

County moved quickly to fill the gap by signing 21-year-old Birmingham midfielder Charlie Lakin on a season-long loan. Lakin has made 15 appearances for Blues and played 25 times in a loan spell at Stevenage last season.

Rangers are trying to sign a midfielder and reports claimed they were close to agreeing a fee with French side Amiens for South African Bongani Zungu.

Alfredo Morelos is expected to stay at Ibrox despite fresh speculation over his future with an unnamed Serie A club said to have failed in a loan bid for the Colombian.

Hibernian confirmed the signing of Kyle Magennis from St Mirren on a five-year deal after succeeding with the latest in a series of bids for the midfielder last week.

The Buddies have strengthened their defensive options by bringing in Northern Ireland Under-19 right-back Daniel Finlayson from Rangers on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.

Dundee United beat the transfer deadline to sign Scotland striker Marc McNulty on a season-long loan from Reading.

Boss Micky Mellon now hopes to partner the former Hibernian and Livingston poacher with another member of Steve Clarke’s squad in Lawrence Shankland.

He told the club’s official website: “I’m pleased that we’re going to be able to add another international footballer with the qualities that Marc has to the group in order to help us move forward to the Dundee United we all want to see. He’s definitely a step in the right direction for us to achieve that.

“Marc’s an international player so he’ll bring the qualities of a player who has played at the highest level. He’s pacey, clever and fantastic in the 18-yard box. You only have to look at his goals-per-game – he scores everywhere he’s been.

“We’re looking forward to getting him in and working with him with the rest of the group and, hopefully, pushing him as well towards getting back into the Scotland squad on a regular basis.”

On Shankland, he said: “There’s nothing that I have been told to brace myself for and there really hasn’t ever been anything. We are still really keen to continue moving Dundee United forward and Lawrence is a massive part of that. I don’t expect anything to happen.”

St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson has signed 27-year-old striker Guy Melamed from Israeli Premier League side Maccabi Netanya after earlier moving two forwards on.

John Robertson, 19, has joined Forfar on loan until January while Isaac Olaofe has cut short a temporary move from Millwall by mutual consent after making two substitute appearances in August.

Hearts youngster Anthony McDonald became the latest Gorgie academy recruit to head overseas after joining Spanish outfit Cordoba on a two-year deal. His move comes less than two weeks after Aaron Hickey joined Serie A side Bologna.