Aberdeen have made an approach to Celtic to try and sign Stephen Welsh on a permanent basis. The deal is considered unlikely to happen at this time. Celtic would need to recall Welsh from his loan at Motherwell, and Aberdeen would also need to agree a fee with the club and terms with the player. There is also uncertainty because Aberdeen currently do not have a permanent manager, with Peter Leven in interim charge after Jimmy Thelin’s sacking. The centre half is under contract at Celtic until the end of 2027.

Journalist Anthony Joseph has reported that Aberdeen have expressed an interest in Stephen Welsh. Welsh is a 25-year-old Scottish centre-back for Celtic and is currently on loan at Motherwell, where he has been playing regularly, making 14 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season. Aberdeen's interest is reportedly driven by a need for defensive stability following a recent managerial change. According to the report from Joseph, Aberdeen are keen on a permanent deal for Welsh, but a move could be difficult as he is settled at Motherwell. The journalist also stated that Celtic have until January 14 to activate a recall option on his loan. The defender has 10 caps for Scotland's U21 team and a current Transfermarkt market value of €800k.