Turnbull, Aribo & Washington - Scotland's most intriguing summer deals
Last updated on .From the section Scottish Premiership
An on-off signing soap opera, the "new Dele Alli" and goal-shy strikers. Scottish football doesn't need the distraction of actual football matches to prove good value for entertainment.
It is three weeks since the Scottish summer transfer window opened and Premiership clubs have been doing a fair bit of business. All except Kilmarnock, that is. They are the only top-flight team yet to sign a player, although they did pull off a managerial coup (more of that later).
Here, BBC Scotland delves into the most interesting moves.
Big two battle for supremacy
One of the most high-profile deals so far is one that didn't happen. Midfielder David Turnbull's £3.25m move from Motherwell to Celtic was on and off more times than a light switch.
It's never a good look when you're pictured wearing your soon-to-be new club's strip only for the move to fall through. But that's the fate that befell the 19-year-old when his Celtic medical flagged up a knee problem that required preventative surgery. By then most people were just relieved the saga had ended.
Celtic acted swiftly after that setback to pay their second-biggest ever fee, landing Toulouse centre-back Christopher Jullien for a reported £7m. According to French football journalist Matt Spiro, he's "tall, a goal threat, but weak on the turn" and "was caught out for several goals last season" - so basically a like-for-like replacement for Hertha Berlin-bound Dedryck Boyata.
Across the city, Rangers have already recruited six players, including Joe Aribo, who reportedly rejected a move to Celtic. The 22-year-old may have a surname that sounds like a bag of sweeties, but he was a tasty talent at Charlton Athletic, earning comparisons with Patrick Vieira and Dele Alli. So no pressure there, then.
Strikers who forget to score
Aberdeen look to have made a canny capture in Craig Bryson as they look to fill their Graeme Shinnie-shaped midfield void. Bryson returns north with plenty still to offer at age 32 after eight years' solid service down south at Derby County.
And, after boss Derek McInnes turned Sam Cosgrove into a prolific predator last season, can he work his magic again with goal-shy Curtis Main after snaring the striker from Motherwell?
Hearts, meanwhile, will hope Conor Washington can rediscover his scoring form at Tynecastle following the Northern Ireland striker's release from Sheffield United.
Washington was bought for £3m by Queens Park Rangers just three years ago but has scored once since February last year. Hearts, though, were quick to point out he has a "goals-to-minutes-played ratio equalling one strike every three games".
Back with point to prove in capital
Scott Allan's time at Celtic was an unmitigated disaster, failing to make his mark under three different managers after signing from Hibernian in 2015. He's now 27, back at Easter Road "dying for a game", and needs to breathe fresh life into a career that promised so much.
The same applies to Jamie Walker at Hearts following a move to Wigan Athletic that turned sour. Just eight appearances in 17 months is a poor return for the winger who looked destined for big things on his departure from Tynecastle.
What's in a name?
Motherwell and Hamilton have continued their local rivalry over the course of the summer, vying for the best signing who is the son of a former high-profile player.
Norway's Markus Fjortoft, who was most recently playing in New Zealand, made the move to the SuperSeal Stadium. The 26-year-old is son of former Norway striker Jan Aage Fjortoft and, if his aerial prowess is anything like his old man's, he'll be a handful in opposition penalty boxes.
Not to be outdone, Motherwell secured the loan signing of Devante Cole from Wigan. Described as a "natural finisher", he is the son of former Manchester United and England striker Andrew Cole.
Managing expectations
Kilmarnock took their time over finding a replacement for Steve Clarke and eschewed the usual names to attract Antonio Conte's former assistant, Angelo Alessio. The Italian has a CV that will make the Rugby Park fans swoon and has gone from working with Andrea Pirlo to Alan Power.
Speaking of suave operators, Jim Goodwin seems the perfect fit for St Mirren after the former captain returned to replace Oran Kearney. Goodwin worked wonders in the Championship with Alloa Athletic and the hard-edged player has matured into an excellent boss.
In the Championship, James McPake has been thrown in at the deep end with Dundee in his first managerial job. Having cut his teeth with the youths and under-20s, he'll be thankful to have the smarts of incoming technical director Gordon Strachan on hand to help him try to steer the club back to the top flight.
Is he still playing?
Under McPake, relegated Dundee aren't messing about in their bid for an instant return to the top flight. Among their handful of signings is midfielder Shaun Byrne, who dropped down a division despite being a virtual ever-present for Livingston last season.
Another midfielder pitching up at Dens Park is Jamie Ness - remember him? After bursting on the scene with Rangers in 2011, he soon upped sticks in a big move to Stoke City but has since bobbed around England's lower leagues.
Their main challengers for the Championship title are likely to come from along the road, with Dundee United responding to their play-off final defeat by recruiting a couple of full-backs... Liam Smith from Ayr United and Adrian Sporle from Argentine top-flight club Banfield.
