Celtic youngster joins Championship side on mid-season loan

The Scottish Championship side, who have a co-operation agreement with Martin O'Neill's side, already have Jude Bonnar, Kyle Ure, and Ben Summers on their books, with the latter set to join on a permanent deal this summer following the end of his loan.

✍️ The Club are delighted to announce the signing of 20-year-old midfielder, Francis Turley on loan from Celtic until the end of the season.

Welcome to the Honest Men, Francis!#WeAreUnited https://t.co/Rxwko7nfuC pic.twitter.com/oqRhPXgybM

— Ayr United (@AyrUnitedFC) February 27, 2026

Now, Scott Brown can call upon Northern Ireland U21 international Turley, who has appeared once for Celtic's first team, which occurred versus St Mirren in 2024.

In a short social media post, Ayr confirmed the news of their latest arrival. In full on X, the Somerset Park side said, "The Club are delighted to announce the signing of 20-year-old midfielder, Francis Turley, on loan from Celtic until the end of the season.

"Welcome to the Honest Men, Francis!"

Elsewhere, Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti is ready for 'war' on Sunday against Rangers, after raving about his first experience of the fixture last year.

As the Tunisian previewed Celtic's trip to Ibrox to face Danny Rohl's team, Tounekti reflected on his sole appearance against his club's fiercest rivals. "For me, it was an experience, quite an experience. It was at Hampden, a semi-final, a big game," he said.

"I remember there were many duels, many yellow cards. It was intense. That’s why I expect Sunday to be like that as well. As a player, you have to be ready to fight because it’s going to be a war.

“A lot of people playing it for the first time feel the pace catches them by surprise, even those who’ve grown up watching it.”