ALEX’S ANGLE: VAR WE GO AGAIN

ALEX’S ANGLE: VAR WE GO AGAIN

THANKFULLY, it didn’t matter a jot at the end of the day and Brendan Rodgers could even afford a wry smile after analysing the incident.

However, it would have been an entirely different matter if the contentious VAR decision to nullify what looked like a perfectly legitimate goal from Kyogo Furuhashi against Philippe Clement’s Ibrox club had proved to be a pivotal moment in the derby confrontation at the weekend.

The cheers of the joyous fans were stilled when the technical assistant, sitting in front of the TV cameras in the Glasgow office, intervened to flag up a perceived offside infringement.

Apparently, Nicolas Kuhn was in an illegal position when he raced onto a pass from Callum McGregor before sliding a cross in front of Kyogo to tuck behind Jack Butland.

While the celebrating reverberated around the stadium, referee John Beaton received a word in his ear and the effort was chalked off. I have to say my immediate thought was that the VAR official must possess the laserbeam vision of a particularly alert hawk.

It took something like a remarkable 40 seconds to review the entire movement and make a swift judgement.

You and I are united in applauding speed when it comes to calls from the technicians. No-one wants the game paused for any longer than is necessary.

However, to come to such a decision in such an extraordinary short span of time is quite bewildering. On how many occasions was the episode actually assessed?

Certainly, it deserved a whole lot more than a cursory glance.

Afterwards, Rodgers shook his head and grinned when asked about the lightning-swift n0-goal call. “I would like to see those lines in the VAR room,” he said. “One of the angles I have seen it looked like he [Kuhn] was onside.”

The image with the VAR calibrated markings proved to be utterly inconclusive. That is not acceptable.

What if it had been the last minute with the match in stalemate? Observers would have had every right to pore over the flashpoint with intricate precision.

Another angle – possibly the one viewed by the Celtic manager – may well have led to an altogether different conclusion.

It was all a bit mystifying until you remember who was sitting in front of the screens across the city. Andrew Dallas. The same Andrew Dallas who once awarded Rangers FOUR penalty-kicks in one game against St Mirren back in February 2019.

Asked for an opinion on the referee’s performance by a national newspaper, I recall a former SFA match official stating quite categorically that THREE of the decisions were wrong. That’s a fairly damning verdict.

I also recollect that one of the spot-kick decisions simply bordered on the laughable when Daniel Candeias was tackled outside the box and managed to dive and roll over the line.

The Portuguese winger wasn’t the only one on a roll at Ibrox that afternoon.

That may help to shed some light on the preposterous decision at Parkhead on Sunday.

Gustav Isaksen reveals why Celtic transfer was a non starter as Dane swerves ‘boring’ switch

The Dane was linked with a £12million move to the Premiership champions from Lazio

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Gustav Isaksen has admitted that a move to Celtic was never on the cards after learning the Lazio ropes for a year.

The Danish winger was heavily linked with the Hoops in the final week of the transfer window, with reports in Rome claiming that they were in for the £12million valued winger. In the end, the Premiership champions chose to focus on strengthening in the middle of the park and in defence, signing Auston Trusty, Arne Engels and Luke McCowan on deadline day.

But any official approach for Isaksen was likely to get the short shrift in any case. He was determined to remain in the Eternal City, instructing his agent to reject any offers, even if they were “exciting.” Now more established at the Stadio Olimpico under new boss Marco Baroni, the 23-year-old wasn’t prepared to throw a year of learning down the drain, as starting again at another club would make it “boring.”

“It would be boring to have spent a whole year getting to know everything in Lazio to go somewhere new and then have to learn it all again,” he told tvmidtvest. “So I told my agent that even if something exciting comes along, I would like to stay with 99 percent certainty. I feel that I have the potential to become an important man down there.

“I had a bit of a hard time with the coach who was there before. We didn’t quite find each other, and I wasn’t quite the player he wanted. I think I did well, so it was a bit frustrating. After a new coach came in, it feels calmer. It seems that there are longer prospects with the coach we have now.”

Head of Recruitment silence, nearly six months after Mark Lawwell resigned

This past week has one of total joy. Quality signings in the door, and of course that thumping win over theRangers in the Glasgow Derby.

Celtic v theRangers – Brendan Rodgers during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

One thing that might have been forgotten in all that euphoria is that Celtic still hasn’t put in place a new head of recruitment, although from Brendan’s frank and honest remarks ahead of the window closing this is something that will be occupying his time after he’s had a few well earned days away from Lennoxtown.

I’m not being a killjoy, far from it, but we’ve got to move in a position of strength and hiring a new head of recruitment is a step in the right direction. It’s all very well that Brendan on a needs must basis has stepped into that role this summer and has certainly impressed but his focus needs to be on the training ground, developing the squad and preparing the players for the exciting Champions League challenges that are upcoming.

Celtic v theRangers –  Arne Engels during the match at Celtic Park on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

It’s been nearly six months after all since Mark Lawwell stood down, and yet here we are with no replacement to fill that void, and there’s not even been any rumours or reports about Celtic making moves for any potential replacements.

Despite that Celtic still managed to do some great work in the transfer window and got some quality additions in the door, but I’m sure we can all agree that it could have been done much quicker. Waiting until the last week of the window is good for no one, and having the right staff on board would help us avoid all that unnecessary drama.

Celtic v theRangers –  Brendan Rodgers reacts on the touchline during  match at Celtic Park, Glasgow on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

Celtic is currently in a great position of strength on the park and off. It’s time we made great strides towards building an even stronger foundation and put ourselves in line with the European elite, because that is the best way possible to give Celtic a chance of bridging the gap with the elite clubs in European football in the modern era and to allow Celtic to start punching above our weight.

On the European front we have been a dominant, under achieving force for too long. When opponents or new signings refer to Celtic as being an ‘historic club’ they are obviously meaning that in a complimentary way. However as time goes by it’s becoming a harsh reminder of our failing on the European front for too long now.

Celtic v theRangers – Celtic fans hold up a Let Celtic Flourish banner during the  match at Celtic Park, on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

We are in a good place right now. Let’s make sure it gets even better, and hiring a competent head of recruitment will help us achieve our goals, domestically and maybe even back on the European stage.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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Ex-Rangers ace explains ‘no brainer’ exit as £25m star given damning fitness verdict after post Celtic move

Former Ranger star Scott Wright got off to the perfect start by scoring the winner on his Birmingham City debut. | Getty Images

The latest transfer headlines involving Rangers and Celtic

Rangers star Scott Wright was just one of a number of stars to join League One promotion hopefuls Birmingham City on deadline day in a busy final 24 hours of transfer activity in England’s second city.

The 27-year-old sacrificed the prospect of being involved in another title race along with the added incentive of playing Europa League football to drop into the third-tier of English football.

Wright even started a Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kiev in early August but felt it was time for a new challenge and described the decision as a ‘no brainer’ after discussions with the Blues owners.

In an interview with Birmingham Live, Wright, who made 76 league appearances for the Light Blues explained: “I was getting game time at Rangers but I just felt like it was time for a new challenge for me. Once I had spoken to them it was a no brainer. Coming and being part of this project and this journey was something that really interested me.

“I signed on the Friday and it came up on Tuesday or Wednesday, so it really moved at a fast rate, but after having conversations with my family and my wife we thought it was going to be the right step for me.”

Wright enjoyed the dream debut by scoring a 91st minute winner against Wigan Athletic to extend Blues’ League One winning streak to three matches.

As it stands, the Blues are third in the League One table, level on 10 points with Wrexham and Stockport County as they target a return to the Championship after last season’s shock relegation.

Former Celtic star given damning fitness verdict after disastrous Saudi spell

Former Celtic hero Jota is back in Europe after completing a move to French side Rennes at the end of the summer transfer window.

The Portuguese playmaker, who scored 11 goals in 33 league matches during his final season at Parkhead, spent just one season in Saudi Arabia after making a £25m move to Al-Ittihad last summer.

The 25-year-old often struggled for game time in the Middle East as the club had too many foreign players to fit the quota of the league, particularly in the first six months.

He played just Asian Champions League and cup matches during the first part of the campaign and ended up being registered for the second part of the season, scoring four league goals. But that wasn’t enough to ensure a future at the club and he wanted out regardless.

Rennes have acquired the player for just £8m, which is significantly cheaper than the amount the winger moved for just 12 months ago. However, manager Julien Stéphan is yet to hand him his debut and insists it will take Jota time to get back into the right physical condition for the new season.

He said, via Football Scotland: “Jota is going to need work. It will take him days and probably even weeks to get back to the physical level he needs because he had a very disrupted season last season.

“He hardly played between September and March. The last few weeks of pre-season for him were almost next to nothing too with nearly no team sessions. We’re going to have to gradually get his fitness back up and get his condition back to what it should be.”

Celtic have embodied a sense of defensive solidity in their opening quartet of Scottish Premiership matches this season.

Four league matches have passed, and they have yet to concede a goal, with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel spending large portions of matches as a spectator between the sticks.

In front of him, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales have been commanding in central defence. On either side, Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor remain consistent in their commitment to support their backline while breaking forward when the opportunity presents itself.

Brendan Rodgers deserves major credit for what has become an incremental defensive improvement. His side adopt the same intensity when carrying out the dirty work as they provide in offensive situations, which both help to dominate opponents.

The Irishman will freely admit it hasn’t always been this way; Celtic have taken time to warm to his methods, and the transition to his tactical framework has needed to steep in boiling water. Now, there are clear signs that their hard work is being rewarded, not only in terms of results but statistically.

The major Celtic differential between this term and 2023/24

Focusing on Celtic’s defensive exploits in the Scottish Premiership, an accurate yardstick would be to compare their solidity this term against where they were last season, so let’s take a look.

According to Fotmob, the Bhoys have conceded a combined XG (Expected Goals) rate of 1.68 in their first four league matches of the season against Kilmarnock, Hibernian, St Mirren, and Rangers. A breakdown can be seen below.

Celtic 4-0 Kilmarnock – 0.20

Hibernian 0-2 Celtic – 0.10

St Mirren 0-3 Celtic – 0.14

Celtic 3-0 Rangers – 1.24

Now, looking at 2023/24, Celtic were far more susceptible to conceding chances during the infancy of Rodgers’ second tenure. Taking where the Bhoys were at the same stage, the results tell you all you need to know.

Celtic 4-2 Ross County – 1.13 (conceded twice)

Aberdeen 1-3 Celtic – 1.76 (conceded once)

Celtic 0-0 St Johnstone – 0.28

Rangers 0-1 Celtic – 0.95

Counting up both totals, Celtic have given up a combined 1.68 XG worth of chances at this stage of the season.

Evaluating last term, their rearguard faced 4.12 XG worth, creating a major differential of 2.44 XG shipped.

Brendan Rodgers has already cited Celtic’s biggest improvement

Rewinding to last week, Rodgers offered a summary of why Celtic aren’t giving up as many chances last season when asked what the biggest improvement he has seen from his side this term was in his pre-match press conference before facing Rangers.

He stated: “Our pressing. I always say that passing the ball and pressing are like twins; when you press the game well, you pass the game well. Probably, in the first six months of last season, we weren’t doing either so well with enough consistency.”

“That started to pick up in the second part of the season and really, that last three months of the season tagged onto pre-season.

“Now, if you look at and analyse the games, we’ve had three shots against us in three games (before Rangers clash), so that tells you how hard the team is pressing and working together, and that elevates the football, so I always say our mantra here is respect the 30% because that’s the most important bit when you don’t have the ball, how aggressive you are.”

In short, Celtic’s pressing this term has suffocated the opposition and offered them less chance to build attacking momentum. If in doubt, remember to respect the 30%.

Rangers blamed for ‘unfair’ deal collapse, Celtic farewell message, Hearts target ‘quits’ role – transfer news

Scottish football transfer news and speculation

The transfer window may be closed, but the rumour mill never stops. Here are the latest transfer tidbits from around Scottish football this Wednesday lunchtime…

Rangers blamed for ‘unfair’ deal collapse

Rangers decision not to follow through with the loan signing of Southampton winger Sam Edozie on transfer deadline day has been branded “unfair” on the player. Saints boss Russell Martin, who had a spell on loan at Ibrox during his playing career, admitted he felt “gutted” for the 21-year-old as the proposed move to Glasgow collapsed at the eleventh hour. Martin said: “What frustrated me was how late it fell through and it wasn’t on our end. It’s a bit unfair to Sam really. It’s a bit disappointing but it is what it is. Every club has their prerogative and their priorities in the transfer window. I was gutted for Sam because it was too late to then find another opportunity to go and play football.”

Celtic farewell message

Mikey Johnston has posted a farewell message to Celtic following his transfer deadline day move to West Brom. The 25-year-old winger spent more than a decade at the Parkhead club rising through the youth ranks before making his first team debut during Brendan Rodgers’ first spell in charge and going on to make 93 appearances. “It’s hard to say goodbye,” the Republic of Ireland international wrote on Instagram. “I feel very fortunate to have been able to play for Celtic. I’ve lived my dream, playing just one minute would have been enough. Thank you to everyone at the club for helping me grow as a player and as a person throughout the years. Thank you to the fans who supported me through the good times and the bad. Looking forward to a new chapter now and going back to being a Celtic fan again. Hail hail, MJ.”

Hearts target quits role

Graeme Jones has reportedly stepped down as the Scottish Football Association’s performance director in order to take up a new role at Hearts. The Edinburgh Evening News claims that Jones has quit his Hampden post following talks over a move to Tynecastle. Jones is wanted for an overseeing job at Hearts after the departure of sporting director Joe Savage. Discussions have already taken place about his remit, which would be slightly different to Savage’s, the report states. Edinburgh-based Jones is said to be keen to explore the opportunity after deciding to tender his resignation at the SFA.

Away from the Glasgow Derby for a second as attention turns to the Celtic Women’s team and their UEFA Women’s Champions League adventure.

Elena Sadiku’s side qualified for the elite UEFA tournament after winning their first-ever SWPL title last season with a superior goal difference to Rangers’.

This morning, Celtic Women kicked off their first-round Group 3 Champions League qualifier against Finnish champions, KuPS Kuopio at the Šiauliai Central Stadium in Lithuania.

Sadiku’s side were looking to book their place in the final against either Gintra or Agarista Anenii Noi who both face off at 4pm this afternoon to qualify for the next round.

Celtic’s first-half Champions League struggles

Celtic has a nervy first-half tussle with the Finns in which the Ghirls struggled to get a grip of the game.

Sadiku’s side applied some early pressure on KuPS but just couldn’t find any penetration despite Hana Kerner causing the Finnish champions some problems on the right flank.

However, in the 18th minute, KuPS took the lead after Mathilde Carstens lost possession in the Hoops midfield as Nigerian striker, Roosa Ariyo, fired a shot past Celtic ‘keeper Kelsey Daugherty into the bottom corner.

Celtic fashioned a couple of other chances in the first half but just couldn’t find that much-needed equaliser and went in at the break 1-0 down.

A second-half Celtic revival

However, Celtic looked a different side and started the second half with some real urgency as Caitlin Hayes saw her 47th-minute effort saved by the KuPS ‘keeper.

On the 57th-minute the Finns threatened Celtic’s goal but Kelsey Daugherty was equal to the shot and tipped it over the bar.

Then came the turning point for Celtic in the 61st minute. A double substitute paid off as Sadiku replaced Murphy Agnew and Mathilde Carstens with Kit Loferski and Saoirse Noonan.

Three minutes later Noonan had Celtic back in it with a close-range header to level the scores at 1-1.

64′ – INSTANT IMPACT OFF THE BENCH!! 🔥

⚽️ Substitute Saoirse Noonan is on hand to head the ball home from close range and level up the scoring

🟩1⃣-1⃣🟨#CELKUPS | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/aIEUCghbAv

— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) September 4, 2024

Celtic continued to pile on the pressure and had a shout for a penalty denied in the 82nd minute after Loferski went down in the box.

Despite heavy Celtic pressure in the final 25 minutes, the scores remained 1-1 and the Ghirls headed into extra time.

Celtic’s blistering extra-time charge

Celtic came out of the traps in extra-time as Elena Sadiku’s second-half double substitution paid off with Loferski assisting Noonan as the Irish striker netted her second of the game to put the Hoops 2-1 up in the 91st minute.

Six minutes later Noonan was at hand again as she fired in another for her hattrick in the 98th minute to put Celtic 3-1 up and the game virtually out of reach for the Finns.

97′ – IT’S A HAT-TRICK FOR NOONAN ⚽️⚽️⚽️

⚽️ The forward pressures the defender and comes out on top, before smashing the ball into the top corner

🟩3⃣-1⃣🟨#CELKUPS | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/uMyPNSw4J6

— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) September 4, 2024

After that, it was just a case of seeing out the second half which Celtic did with ease as the deflated Finns ran out of steam especially after the Ghirls rattled the woodwork deep into the second half of extra-time.

Noonan’s substitute appearance was simply incredible and Sadiku’s decision to put the Celtic striker on was inspired as she completely changed the course of the match.

Celtic Women now progress to the final or round one on the 7th of September where Sadiku will hope to make history to progress and qualify for the group stages for the first time in Celtic’s history.

Celtic’s win over Rangers at the weekend was almost without controversy, as Brendan Rodgers’ side stretched their lead over the Ibrox club at the top of the table.

Celtic’s dominance was clear to see as Rangers couldn’t live with the pace and quality of the Hoops attack.

Match referee, John Beaton, didn’t need to brandish any red cards despite 23 fouls being committed combined by both teams.

However, four Celtic players were booked and five from Rangers went into the book including coach, Alex Rae.

So in terms of discipline, the game passed without much controversy. But when it came to the one big flashpoint, the application of VAR to come to a decision seems to have left two former SFA referees unimpressed.

The ‘baffling’ VAR decision to rule Kyogo’s goal offside

Former SFA Grade 1 referees Des Roache and Steve Conroy air their views on refereeing standards in Scotland in their Behind The Whistles podcast.

And through their social media account on X, they posted this view on Kyogo Furuhashi‘s goal against Rangers being ruled offside by VAR by the pictures provided at Celtic Park.

The multi-post said, “As we’ve said with all of these daft crayon lines. And poor camera angles. We are to just accept that Hawkeye gives a straight line even if looks way off by the pitch. The Hawkeye aspect is “calibrated”. The attaching lines are applied by hand. They draw it off the “sleeve line”.

“The lines should attach from the sleeve line down to the calibrated target line across the pitch. From the image provided, it appears the down line off the Rangers player is being drawn at an angle to the target line.

“But it’s not possible from a diagonal angle to assess it’s right or wrong. They will say there are factors such as the angles of the arms to the target line that’s going across the pitch. As consumers, we should be provided with conclusive evidence.

“That image on its own is inconclusive. It’s not the first and it won’t be the last. Just another example of our tin pot operation, still baffling in this day and age why we can’t have a side on view.”

VAR continues to be a thorn in Celtic’s side

,it seems to be a constant thorn in their side. And it’s little wonder.

Celtic do that much attacking it makes sense that the refereeing technology will be more involved in their games than others in the league.

The lack of consistency was a big bugbear last season and looking at the angle that was used to nullify Kyogo’s goal has only caused more controversy and confusion.

Thankfully, this apparent contentious decision didn’t cost Celtic on the day as they ran out comfortable winners but it could, as it did against Hearts last season, one of these days it may well and Head of Referees, Willie Collum will have difficult questions to answer.

Brendan Rodgers told Celtic Champions League non negotiable as big gun ‘scalp’ needed

Gordon Strachan twice took the club to the last-16 of the tournament

Gordon Strachan has told Brendan Rodgers that Celtic will have to beat at least one big gun in the Champions League to stand a chance of knockout round football.

The Hoops were handed a rather favourable draw in the revamped League Phase of the competition but will still have to come up against the likes of RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund as well as Aston Villa away from home. Strachan knows all about facing the heavyweights in the tournament after he led the club to victories over Manchester United and AC Milan as he twice took them to the last-16.

Strachan reckons Rodgers will have to do the same and give at least one of the giants a fat lip if the Scottish champions are to make it through. And he feels it’s doable.

“In the previous format, I always believed you needed at least one big scalp to get through,” the ex-Celts boss said. “We managed to beat AC Milan and this was when Milan were at their absolute peak. That was a great Milan team we beat in 2007-08. We beat Manchester United the season before. When you’re playing the best teams with the best players, when you can give your fans a victory, those are the special nights that live long in the memory.

That’s what you need to get through and I imagine it will be the same with the new format. The extra game at Celtic Park could give them an advantage. Brendan Rodgers has mentioned he wants to have a real go in the competition this season and that could help him.”

Celtic have ‘enormous’ advantage over Rangers after confirmed deal – Borson

Celtic have ‘enormous’ advantage over Rangers after confirmed deal – Borson

Celtic have an enormous advantage over Rangers after securing Champions League football and making a significant profit from the Matt O’Riley sale to Brighton.

That is the view of finance expert Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider qualifying for European football’s premier club competition every season makes up a “massive” part of Celtic’s revenue.

Brendan Rodgers’s side booked their place in the Champions League after securing the Scottish Premiership title last season.

But Rangers missed out on Champions League football after they were beaten by Ukranian side Dynamo Kyiv in the third qualifying round, meaning they have to settle for a place in the Europa League.

Celtic have also received a further boost to their profits after O’Riley moved to Brighton for an initial £25million, with potential add-ons taking the deal to around £30million.

Celtic are in strong financial position after Matt O’Riley deal

Borson suggested that money and the cash from the Champions League will ensure the Glasgow giants are in a strong financial position this season.

“The key thing really for Celtic every year is Champions League,” Borson told Football Insider.

“It just dwarfs all other revenue streams. It’s so significant, especially now where you can get yourself 10 games and earn up to £50million.

Join the Football Insider WhatsApp channel to get all our exclusives and the breaking transfer news FIRST.

“It’s a massive part of their revenue and profit, especially where you’re the only team getting it and Rangers are not getting it.

“It’s an enormous advantage and then you leverage on top of that the O’Riley sale to Brighton.

“But because Champions League is almost a reoccurring income stream, that’s the more important income stream.

“But clearly, where you make a big win like £30million on a particular transfer, that’s fantastic.

“You would expect them to be investing that in the side because, with Champions League, they are in a good position.”

Celtic transfer target Mateusz Bogusz has Poland role defined after false start to first international call up

Bogusz is set to make his Poland debut at Hampden despite missing thier first training session this week

Former Celtic transfer target Mateusz Bogusz missed Poland’s first training session this week after flight delays meant he joined up with the squad late.

The LAFC star was at the centre of transfer talks between the Premiership champions and the MLS franchise during the final week of the transfer window. However, an agreement couldn;t be reached and the Hoops moved on to other targets. Arne Engles was the priority from Augsburg while Luke McCowan was added in the deadline busting deal from Dundee.

Whether Brendan Rodgers resurrects his attempts to sign Bogusz in January remains to be seen. but Hoops fan will get a close up look of the man they might have signed last month when Poland take on Scotland n the Nations League at Hampden on Thursday Flight issues from the US meant he couldn’t train with Michal Probierz’s squad in Warsaw on Monday, but he did take part on Tuesday after finally touching down in the Polish capital.

He’s in line to make his international debut after impressive form for LA not only caught Celtic;s eye, but Probierz’s as well. And the head coach is adamant that he sees Bogusz as a central midfielder. LA have used him in a striking role, and Celtic were looking at him as an attacker or attacking midfielder.

However, Probierz’s sees him in a deeper role. And that could see him line up in the engine room against Scotland on Thursday night. He said: “Mateusz Bogusz is considered a central midfielder, because that’s his position. He played a few games as a striker, but he’s not a typical striker.”

Brendan Rodgers capped off the summer transfer window by strengthening Celtic before the big Glasgow Derby match against Rangers last week.

The Celtic boss’ transfer deadline day captures of Auston Trusty, Arne Engels and Luke McCowan helped bolster the earlier signing of Alex Valle that week and the four additions of Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah.

However, it’s the captures of Valle and Trusty that have already benefitted Rodgers as both new additions helped to inspire Celtic’s win over Rangers on Sunday.

Liam Scales’ class reaction to Celtic signing Trusty

The centre of defence has been the focus of attention for the Celtic fans as many believe that Cameron Carter-Vickers needs a strong partner in beside him.

Liam Scales has been tremendous for Celtic over the last twelve months and it seems that the signing of Trusty has helped push him on to another level after his performance against Rangers.

Rated at 7.6 by Fotmob, Scales had one of his best games of the season already for Celtic. The Irishman was imperious at the heart of the defence making two blocks, six clearances, two interceptions, 11 defensive actions and winning six out of his seven duels.

Scales even contributed to Celtic’s attack with a passing accuracy of 86% with six of those inside Rangers’ final third of the pitch.

It was a superb performance by Scales as he sent a message to new Bhoy, Auston Trusty, that he won’t be giving up his jersey anytime soon despite Celtic spending £6m on the former Sheffield United defender.

Greg Taylor’s solid Celtic performance gives Valle a challenge

Out of all of Rodgers’ players, Greg Taylor has to be one of the most underappreciated in the Celtic team. Signed as a replacement for Kieran Tierney, Taylor has, in my view, been constantly and unfairly compared to the Arsenal defender.

However, what cannot be denied is that Taylor has lacked competition and cover over the last two seasons and it seems that the capture of Valle has done wonders for him after what he produced against Rangers.

Rated at 8.2 by the football site, Taylor was one of Celtic’s best players on the day. Making 10 defensive actions, five ball recoveries, winning six of nine duels and making two interceptions and two clearances, the fullback was superb in helping keep a clean sheet against Rangers.

Taylor was also a stalwart in helping Celtic’s attack as he created one assist, fashioned out one chance and made ten passes into the final third of the pitch.

The Scotland defender also had 74 touches and made 55 passes with 89% of those finding a Celtic jersey.

So it is clear that despite not even making a single first-team appearance, both Valle and Trusty have helped raised Celtic’s standards and have brought out the best in two players who always seem to be under the spotlight.

 

Report: 23yrs old star player could leave Celtic this month.

A number of Celtic players are still facing an uncertain future at Parkhead and could be sold this month to other leagues where the transfer window is still open. 

According to a report from the Daily Record, Celtic defender Maik Nawrocki is one of those players whose future at the club is unclear.

The transfer window is closed in the UK and big leagues elsewhere in Europe, but it is still open in other leagues, and unwanted players could be shipped out.

The 23-year-old defender has become surplus to requirements at Celtic Park, especially after Auston Trusty’s arrival from Sheffield United.

Brendan Rodgers has Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Stephen Welsh and Trusty as major options, and definitely Nawrocki is going to drop down the pecking order at the club.

The report claims that arranging a transfer now could be “tricky”, but he could still be offloaded, with clubs in his homeland, Poland could be interested. Clubs in Poland can sign players up until Friday, September 6, and a potential exit cannot be ruled out.

Other Celtic players who could leave Parkhead

Celtic paid over £4.3 million to sign Nawrocki from Legia Warsaw last summer on a five-year deal.

The Hoops can send him out on loan if they want, as it would be really difficult for them to secure a permanent transfer for the Polish defender.

He managed 13 games in all competitions last season and looked out of depth at the Glasgow club.

Celtic should also look to offload Liam Shaw. The midfielder spent the last season at Wigan on loan. He has only a year left on his current deal at Parkhead and could be allowed to leave for free if he fails to find a new club.

Clubs in Belgium, Switzerland or even Greece can still sign players, and Celtic should look to offload the likes of James McCarthy and Yang to get rid of their wage bills.

Two Celtic stars drop out of Scotland squad along with ex Rangers man as current Ibrox ace called up

Steve Clarke could hand three Scotland players their first senior cap. | AFP via Getty Images

Steve Clarke has made some changes to his Scotland squad.

Last week, Scotland manager Steve Clarke named his squad to take on Poland and Portugal in the Nations League. Since then, the team has been hit with injuries, including to two Celtic players – forcing Clarke to call up some replacements.

In doing so, the 61 year old has given debut call-ups to four players. Among them is a Rangers midfielder and a former Hibs defender – let’s take a look at who they are.

Who has been called up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad?

Clarke has handed debut call-ups to three players ahead of the Tartan Army’s Nations League fixtures. Josh Doig, who currently plays for Sassuolo, is one of them – previously, he has played for Hibs in the Scottish Premiership. Additionally, Dundee’s Jon McCracken has also been called up.

The third call-up was given to Rangers midfielder Connor Barron – he signed for the Light Blues from Aberdeen in the summer transfer window and has made a steady start to life at the Ibrox Stadium.

Who been dropped from the squad?

A pair of Celtic stars – namely, James Forrest and Greg Taylor – have been dropped from the squad. Furthermore, Torino forward Che Adams has also ‘withdrawn’ from the team.

Additionally, former Rangers shot stopper Robby McCrorie will also play no part in Scotland’s upcoming games – he is out of contention for the time being has he continues to recover from a hip injury.

The full Scotland squad is as follows: Angus Gunn (Norwich City), Zander Clark (Hearts), Jon McCracken (Dundee), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Max Johnston (Sturm Graz), Grant Hanley (Norwich City), Ryan Porteous (Watford), Scott McKenna (Las Palmas), John Souttar (Rangers), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Josh Doig (Sassuolo), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), Kenny McLean (Norwich City), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Connor Barron (Rangers), Ben Doak (Middlesbrough), Lewis Morgan (New York Red Bulls), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Lyndon Dykes (Birmingham City), Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough).

Prestwick: James Forrest makes 500th appearance for Celtic

James Forrest made his 500th Celtic appearance in the Old Firm derby on Sunday, September 1. (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

PRESTWICK’S James Forrest has ticked of yet another milestone in his illustrious career with Celtic.

The evergreen winger made his 500th appearance for the club on Sunday, September 1, in their 3-0 Old Firm derby triumph versus Rangers.

Since making his first team debut as a late substitute against Motherwell back on May 1, 2010 aged just 18, Forrest has truly gone on to become a Parkhead legend.

The former Prestwick Academy pupil is edging his way closer to becoming a top ten appearance maker of all-time at the club.

He is only one medal short of becoming the most decorated player in the history of Celtic, with his haul of 24 just one short of current holder – and Saltcoats man – Bobby Lennox.

Despite the great honour, Forrest was keen not to have a fuss made following the match at the weekend.

He said: “A couple of boys were shouting for me to make a speech, but I managed to get away from that one.

“It’s a great milestone. Obviously coming through the academy here and making a 500th appearance in front of your home fans in a victory against your rivals, it was a great day all round.

“Being at a club the size of this for so long is a great achievement and I just need to keep working hard to try and add to that now as well.”

It was a milestone that the 33-year-old was also unsure he would reach, after finding himself out of favour for large periods last season.

However, the former South Ayr Boys Club star ended last season playing a key role as Celtic secured their third straight Scottish Premiership title.

Forrest commented: “To be honest I only knew in the last couple of games I was close to 500. But I had a spell late January and February when I wasn’t in squads and I didn’t know if I was ever going to play for Celtic again.

“But when stuff like that happens it makes it even better when you do get achievements. It’s the same throughout your career, you maybe go through bad spells through loss of form or you’re injured, so it’s always good when you come back, win stuff and help contribute for this club.”

Celtic v Rangers Match Highlights

Watch the highlights from a stunning Sunday at Celtic Park which saw Brendan Rodgers’ side deliver a masterclass in the Glasgow derby, cruising to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Rangers.

The Hoops showcased their championship pedigree with a dominant performance, on the day of James Forrest’s 500th appearance for the club.

Daizen Maeda opened the scoring early on, before his countryman Kyogo Furuhashi added his Derby Day goal from outside the box. The captain, Callum McGregor, then capped off the performance with another stunning strike from distance, sending Celtic Park into a frenzy.

Arne Engels targets perfect Belgium birthday bash as Celtic new boy reveals what will change with international call up

The midfielder was handed his first Red Devils call-up just days after making his Hoops debut from the bench in the Old Firm demolition of Rangers

Arne Engels reckons making a name for himself with Belgium will be the icing on the cake after the perfect first week at Parkhead.

The Celtic record signing landed in Glasgow in a blockbuster £11m deal from Augsburg on deadline day – and was immediately handed his first call up for the Red Devils. The midfielder is in the mix with Kevin de Bruyne and co just days after making his Hoops debut from the bench in Sunday’s Old Firm demolition derby.

Engels will celebrate his 21st birthday this weekend – and he’s hoping to cap it with his first taste of international football in the Nations League clashes with Israel and France. The former Club Brugge kid said: “It’s my birthday on Sunday. I have nothing planned. It is great to be able to celebrate this during this gathering of the Red Devils. Maybe we will eat a piece of cake together!

“It is true that I am not very well known in Belgium and that did not bother me until now. I could easily go to a restaurant without being recognised. That may change now, but it does not bother me either. It is part of the life of a footballer.

“It’s a dream to be a Red Devil. It’s an incredible feeling. Being called up for the first time, it is a real childhood dream for me. I think everyone in Belgium would dream of playing for the national team. I’m really happy to be here. I was already able to take part in a training session on Tuesday and the other players have already integrated me well.

“I know some of them from when we played in the under-15 national team. It’s great to be able to see them again here. The group is super nice, there’s a really good atmosphere, it’s very dynamic. I only see positive things so far.”

Engels is determined to prove he can cut it with De Bruyne and the rest of Belgium’s squad of superstars. And he’s convinced starring with Celtic in the Champions League can help fire him to the next level – where he will square up with former side Club Brugge at Parkhead.

Engels said: “It’s very nice move for me going to Celtic. It will be nice to fight for the title. This is a step forward. In Scotland you don’t play against any old Joe Bloggs, right? And there is the Champions League. With a nice, new format for me, with eight top matches, it’s nice.

“This choice seems logical to me. It’s a great step, I’m very happy. Celtic is a very big club. I try to move forward step by step in my career, so this transfer is a continuation. I’m going to be able to play for a title, participate in the Champions League.

“I was in the taxi, on my way to Celtic, at the time of the draw. I will see a lot of old friends again when I play against them. There are still a lot of people working there that I hold dear. It’s a real chance to be able to show yourself at a higher level. There’s an incredible crowd there, they’re constantly behind the team.”

Arne Engel made his Hoops debut off the bench against Rangers (Image: SNS Group)

Engels isn’t short of self-belief and he has told boss Domenico Tedesco he’s ready for action. He said: “I am a player who can bring energy to the Red Devils. And the will to win. I am a real winner, every day, even during mutual games in training.

“In addition, I have a nice passing and a good kicking technique, which can be useful in set pieces, if necessary. I am also very versatile, I pull my weight everywhere, but I prefer to play in midfield.

“I am mainly here to learn. I want to deliver quality. To show that I am worth being here. There are really a lot of very good players in this group, especially in the middle.

“I have seen a lot of very good things since I arrived. I think it is good that there are different profiles in the team, it will make the competition between us more interesting. I know that the level is very high, that there is a lot of potential within the team.”

Engels has been backed to become a Belgium star by former Club Brugge youth coach Rick Di Mil. He said: “Arne won’t look out of place among the Red Devils.

Unfit Jota gets brutal Rennes verdict, Engels told he’s ready for dream Belgium debut – Celtic news bulletin

Connor Barron rewarded for Rangers form with Scotland call as 2 Celtic stars pull OUT of Nations League clashes

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“He has many qualities. For example, he has a lot of stamina – he is a box-to-box player – and an excellent shooting technique. He is also a great player for a coach because he is so versatile.

“He can play on the outside on the wings as well, although I think he is at his best as a central midfielder. Wherever he is on the pitch, Arne brings energy.

“Of course, we labelled Arne as a great talent and we would have liked nothing more than for him to stay – he would have certainly made it at Brugge, but he preferred to try elsewhere. That certainly worked out well.”

Arguably the best signing that Celtic have made’ – ex-Arsenal, West Ham and Hoops star’s transfer verdict

John Hartson says he is delighted with Celtic’s transfer business this summer. | Getty Images

John Hartson has picked out his favourite Celtic signing of the summer

Former Celtic hero John Hartson says he is chuffed with the club’s transfer business this summer as the Hoops target a fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title defence.

The Hoops have started the season in excellent fashion with four victories from their opening four league matches, including a comprehensive 3-0 victory over rivals Rangers over the weekend.

The result leaves Brendan Rodgers’ side firmly in the driving seat at the top of the table and already five points clear of their city rivals.

The victory over Rangers saw club-record signing Arne Engels make his debut alongside new recruit Luke McCowan. Both arrive at Parkhead with huge expectations after impressive campaigns at Augsburg and Dundee respectively, but the signing who Hartson is most impressed with is experienced goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel from Anderlecht.

Hartson told The Go Radio Football Show: “They’ve added some really good players. Engels got on today, did okay. Valle, a left-back cover for Taylor. Valle might even get in as first choice. We saw today Idah coming on for Kyogo.

“You got Ralston there. He hasn’t made many changes on that right side, but he’s got Forrest today who came on for Kuhn. So Celtic now have got options.

“They made six or seven new signings. They’ve got another fantastic keeper in Schmeichel. That could be arguably the best signing that Celtic have made. He’s right up there to replace someone like Joe Hart. So they’ve got momentum.

“They are riding the crest of a wave. There’s a feel-good factor there. They’ve just beaten Rangers. They go into the Champions League now with a good feeling. They have a massive crowd at Celtic Park. Whether or not they can test the best clubs in the world, we’ll have to see about that.”

Schmeichel has signed a one-year contract at Celtic in a move which saw him reunite with his former boss Brendan Rodgers. The pair worked together with Leicester City and enjoyed a huge success as the Foxes lifted the FA Cup for the first time in their history in 2021.

The 105-time international offers a wealth of experience to Celtic, having competed in four major international tournaments with Denmark while also playing a major role in Leicester’s shock title win during the 2015/16 campaign.

He is yet to concede a goal in the Premiership since his arrival and has only conceded once across five matches in all competitions during a 3-1 victory against Hibs in the League Cup.

How under-fire Rangers star could seal transfer to Euro club after leading Ibrox flops through Celtic drubbing

Rangers captain James Tavernier could still be a transfer target for a Turkish club | SNS Group

He was a wanted man earlier this summer – and they’re not finished yet

Under-fire Rangers captain James Tavernier was linked with Trabzonspor and Besiktas during the summer transfer window – and he could still finalise a move to Turkey within the next fortnight.

The 32-year-old right-back was singled out for intense criticism by livid Light Blues fans outside Ibrox Stadium on Sunday after leading his team mates through another Celtic Park drubbing. The Englishman has struggled to reach the heights of previous seasons so far this term, with a large amount of supporters hinting his best days are now behind him as he enters his testimonial year.

Tavernier – who netted 24 goals last season – is currently going through his most barren spell in front of goal for three-and-a-half years, having failed to score since March. However, his previous prolific spells had tempted Turkish Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor to test the Govan giant’s resole with a formal bid earlier this summer.

There was speculation that the gers were open to selling their long-serving skipper, but no agreement was reached and he kept hold of the armband amid rumours that goalkeeper Jack Butland was in line for the captaincy had Tavernier completed a move elsewhere. It was also reported that former Gers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst wanted to sign him for new club Besiktas, but no offer materialised.

However, despite their transfer pursuit fizzling out, there is still time for clubs in Turkey to plot a late swoop with the transfer window in the Super Lig still open until September 18. The window closes slightly earlier in Saudi Arabia where cash-rich Pro League clubs have until tonight (September 2) to splash the cash on new recruits.

Tavernier was briefly linked with a potential reunion in the Middle East with Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq, but confessed the rumours were nothing new to him towards last season. He wasn’t the only Gers player to be subjected to angry scenes on Edmiston Drive at the weekend, with manager Philippe Clement filmed being confronted by supporters as he walked to his car.

One irate fan can be head shouting it’s the “poorest Rangers team for many years”, while another fan vents his frustration over the fact his club have spent millions on “a building” instead of spending money on new players. Clement tells one supporter: “We didn’t reward ourselves, we didn’t reward ourselves, adding “They had four shots on target, we had four shots on target.”

 

Report: Manager on what Celtic can expect from summer signing – Sends message to Brendan Rodgers

On deadline day, Arne Engels arrived at Celtic from FC Augsburg and signed a four-year deal with Brendan Rodgers’ side.

At the weekend, the 20-year-old made his debut for Celtic in their 3-0 win over Rangers.

Gazet van Antwerpen discuss what Celtic and their fans can expect from the Belgian, who can operate across several positions.

Engels prefers to operate in the middle of the pitch but can also be used as fullback and a winger. He managed three goals and nine assists for the Bundesliga side last season.

The new Celtic signing could make his debut for Belgium during September’s international break. Gazet van Antwerpen claim he’s ‘relatively unknown to the general public’, even in his hometown, Opwijk, but that won’t be the case in Glasgow.

Engels is a product of Club Brugge’s youth system but didn’t make an appearance for their first team. He represented their reserve team, Club NXT, where he played under Rik De Mil’s orders.

De Mil, who’s currently managing Sporting Charleroi, is of the belief that Brendan Rodgers should use his compatriot mainly as a midfielder.

“Wherever he is, Arne brings energy. If Arne gets playing minutes, he will not look out of place among De Rode Duivels,” he told GVA.

“Arne has many qualities. He has a lot of running ability – he’s a box-to-box – and excellent kicking technique. He’s also an interesting player for a coach because he’s so versatile. He can play on the outside, although I think he is at his best as a central midfielder.”

The Celtic player’s former manager believes he was ‘impatient’ at Club Brugge. However, his decision to leave the Jupiler Pro League side has turned out well so far.

“He was a bit impatient. Look… Arne is ambitious, and that’s good. But getting into the starting XI as a youngster at that time was not easy for our team: there was a lot of competition,” De Mil explained.

“Naturally, we considered Arne to be a great talent and we would have liked nothing more than for him to stay – he would certainly have made it at Club – but Arne would rather try elsewhere. That turned out well.”

The Sporting Charleroi manager has also insisted that Engles remains grounded.

“It’s all happening incredibly fast now, but Arne has his feet on the ground. He remains down-to-earth. And he’s also a smart boy: you can have a good conversation with Arne. Can you discuss the game? That is not obvious at that age,” he added.

Celtic’s summer transfer business went right to the wire as Brendan Rodgers made three deadline-day signings.

The Celtic boss made Arne Engels the club’s record transfer signing and then added Sheffield United’s Auston Trusty and Dundee midfielder, Luke McCowan as he spent a large chunk of the Matt O’Riley money to reinforce his squad.

But it was the deal to sign McCowan that seems to have irked Hibs sporting director, Malky MacKay, as he shared just how much money the Edinburgh club offered to try and get what he calls the ‘best midfielder’ in Scotland outside of Celtic and Rangers.

What Hibs offered for Celtic’s Luke McCowan

The Easter Road club were huge fans of McCowan and MacKay tells just how serious Hibs were about signing him after making a seven-figure offer for the midfielder.

McKay told Edinburgh News, “The Luke McCowan one was very particular signing.

“It was one who clearly is one of the best midfielders outside of the Old F*rm, in Scotland. And data backs that up.

“Forget the naked eye. His numbers over the last two years show how productive he’s been, so he’s a very specific player.

“There are not a lot of them around. Certainly in the timescale we were looking at. To go and find another version of Luke McCowan, that’s not easy.

MORE CELTIC STORIES

“Now, we had an owner absolutely willing to back that signing. Let me be really clear about that.

“I’ll tell you that he wanted to back it to the tune of a million pounds. The man was prepared to back that. I don’t mind saying that our owner was going to spend that.”

That is a move of serious intent for a club like Hibs who are not known for their big spending power. And Mackay genuinely believed they had a great chance of getting their man.

Celtic’s late-night offer for Luke McCowan

Talk of McCowan joining Celtic in the summer was bubbling under the surface as Brendan Rodgers faced losing Matt O’Riley.

And it did look like he was set for Hibs until Celtic moved with a late-night offer for the 26-year-old as MacKay shared just how late that bid actually was.

MacKay continued, “Obviously once Celtic come in, you are not going to get that player. There’s not a lot we can do about that.

“But our conversations with Dundee were all conducted in good faith. And our owner was really prepared to back the football club by going to get a very specific player.

“It went right down to the wire, it really did. It was an hour from the deadline.

“It’s not as if we knew for definite that Celtic were going to come in for him – it went down to 10 o’clock on the night when we were told that we’d been outbid.”

Fortunately for Celtic and Rodgers, McCowan had no hesitation in joining his Bhoyhood heroes as soon as he heard about the club’s interest.

And after making his debut against Rangers, the decision to sign the former Dundee player does now look like a shrewd piece of business by the Celtic manager.

With the international break now upon us, the Celtic fans will need to wait two weeks until they see McCowan in the green and white Hoops again.

A struggling Hearts will visit Celtic Park on the 14th of September where another three points will keep Celtic’s five-point advantage over Rangers intact.

Forgotten Ange signing, midfield misfit and stagnating academy kid – 5 Celtic stars who could leave after transfer deadline

The window has closed but there are a number of players still stuck in transfer purgatory

Brendan Rodgers and Maik Nawrocki

The transfer window has come and gone but there are still a number of Celtic stars whose futures are yet to be resolved.

Brendan Rodgers trimmed things down over the summer and a hectic deadline day has left him with a balanced squad with two options for every position. Alex Valle finally gives him the Greg Taylor plan B he’d sought, while Arne Engels provides a direct replacement for Matt O’Riley and Luke McCowan offers a homegrown spark in midfield.

The last-minute rush though did lead to a number of players being pushed down the pecking order, with minimal time to arrange routes out of the club before the windows closed in the UK and the big leagues in Europe. One of those being Maik Nawrocki, who now appears entirely surplus to requirements after Auston Trusty’s late arrival from Sheffield United.

The Polish defender hasn’t been in a squad this season and now appears to be fifth choice, behind Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Stephen Welsh and now Trusty. Arranging an exit at this stage may be tricky but a number of windows in Europe and beyond still have some wiggle room. One of those with some life left is Nawrocki’s native Poland, where clubs can sign players up until Friday September 6.

Liam Shaw is another Celtic are likely to be open to moving on if they can with any chance of a Parkhead revival looking decidedly unlikely for the midfielder. He spent last season on loan at Wigan and, with just a year to run on his contract, seems likely to be allowed to leave for free if he can find a new club. The same almost certainly goes for high-earning James McCarthy – who might fancy one last go at it in one of the countries where the window still has some life left, like Belgium, Switzerland or even Greece – in the latter, clubs can make signings right up until Thursday, September 12.

Further up the pitch, Yang appears to have lost the battle with wing contemporaries like Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda, James Forrest and Luis Palma with Brendan Rodgers not quite fancying the South Korean. Moving him on though could prove tricky, particularly if the Hoops would prefer to loan rather than sell. He may be kept around as a squad option, at least until the January window opens.

And that leaves academy talent Adam Montgomery, whose Parkhead contract was recently extended after a horror injury ended his loan spell at Motherwell early. Another domestic loan seemed the most likely option for the left-back but that appears difficult now the Premiership transfer window has closed. Clubs lower down the leagues can make loan signings until the end of September but Celtic will have higher ambitions for the player. He’s a homegrown option which carries some value for the European squads, but with football likely to be even more limited now Taylor has clear competition in Valle, his future is shrouded in doubt.

Rangers exits mooted, ex-Celtic man ‘offered’ MLS chance, Hibs £1million bid – Scottish transfer news

The window may have closed, but the transfer rumours are continuing with Celtic, Rangers and Hibs all in the headlines this morning.

Ex-Celtic midfielder offered MLS chance

Scotland international Stuart Armstrong is ‘on the verge’ of making an surprise switch to MLS, according to several reports. The 32-year-old has been a free agent since his contract expired with newly promoted Southampton in the summer, and was loosely linked to a return to Celtic earlier in the summer. He was also chased by Fiorentina, before spending time on trial with English Premier League side Brentford. However, it now appears he is set to make a shock move across the pond to sign for Vancouver Whitecaps. The Canadian outfit have reportedly offered a contract to the Scotland star and hope he will link up with international team-mate Ryan Gauld, who has been with the MLS team since 2021. He would become the third Scottish star to feature for the Whitecaps, with Kenny Miller also spending time with the club prior to his retirement.

Stuart Armstrong looks to have finally found a new club. | Getty Images

£1million bid

Hibs sporting director Malky Mackay has revealed that Hibs made an offer of £1million to Dundee for captain Luke McCowan on deadline day before he signed for Celtic at the final hour. The Easter Road outfit had made four bids for the midfielder throughout the window, but were gazumped by the champions as the clock ticked towards 11pm on deadline day, and Mackay believes there were no value-for-money alternatives. The Edinburgh side were able to bring in both Nectar Triantis and Jack Iredale on loan from Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers respectively, but had to watch on as key target McCowan moved to Glasgow.

“The Luke McCowan one was very particular signing,” he told the Edinburgh Evening News: “It was one who clearly is one of the best midfielders outside of the Old Firm, in Scotland. And data backs that up. Forget the naked eye. His numbers over the last two years show how productive he’s been, so he’s a very specific player. There are not a lot of them around. Certainly in the timescale we were looking at. To go and find another version of Luke McCowan, that’s not easy.”

Luke McCowan made his Celtic debut on Sunday. | SNS Group

Rangers exit still possible

Ibrox captain James Tavernier could still depart the club this month, after it was confirmed that Trabzonspor are still able to complete transfers for at least another fortnight. The Turkish outfit held serious interest in Tavernier earlier in the window and Rangers were believed to have rejected a concrete bid for the right-back from the Super Lig side in July. The Gers defender was subject to strong criticism from supporters following the 3-0 Old Firm defeat to Celtic on Sunday, with one angry fan sharing an exchange of words with the player outside of Edminston House as squad arrived back from the heavy defeat at Ibrox. A video on social media showed the fan reacting to the Rangers players as they emerged from a side door, with other disgruntled supporters sharing their thoughts on the team’s lacklustre performance. An exit for Tavernier appeared to have died down in recent weeks, though the Scottish Sun claim the long-serving captain could still depart the club after it emerged clubs in Turkiye still have almost two weeks to complete deals, with the Super Lig transfer window open until September 18.

Could James Tavernier still depart Rangers before the end of the month? | SNS Group

Hagi update

Rangers forgotten man Ianis Hagi is said to have rejected the chance to leave the club, after turning down an approach from Romanian outfit FCSB. The Gers forward is unwanted by head coach Philippe Clement, who has confirmed Hagi has no future with Rangers despite the Scottish Premiership transfer window closing last Friday. The player, who spent last season on loan with La Liga outfit Alaves, has not appeared for the Glasgow giants in over a year and has been forced to train with the club’s B team as they look to arrange an exit. Hagi told supporters he “had never asked to leave” and is “ready” to represent the club if asked last week, but was once again left out of the squad that travelled to Celtic Park on Sunday. With the Romanian transfer window open until September 9, FCSB are thought to have made an offer that would see Hagi return to his home country, though the 25-year-old is expected to reject the deal with the main stumbling block surrounding his current salary.

Arne Engels floored by first Celtic impression as new signing sums excitement up with one word reaction

The Hoops’ record signing had just one word to describe the atmosphere inside Celtic Park after a thumping win over Rangers

Celtic record signing Arne Engels reacts to Parkhead atmosphere after first taste vs Rangers

Celtic’s record transfer spend. Derby debut against Rangers. A winning start to life at Parkhead.

It was quite the whirlwind weekend for new recruit Arne Engels after Brendan Rodgers splashed the cash to bring him to the Scottish champions from Bundesliga outfit Augsburg. He was thrown straight into the mixer with a spot on the bench and was brought on for his first taste of football in Scotland as the Hoops battered Philippe Clement’s men 3-0 to win the first meeting between the duo.

A full house of Celtic fans partied in Glasgow’s east end at full-time as the tunes blasted around Parkhead with the players taking a lap of honour after goals from Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor secured a comfortable victory. It was a day of firsts for Engels as he got into the spirit after Celtic TV footage captured him dancing with Alistair Johnston as they took in the applause of the supporters and soaked up the noise and atmosphere.

As the 20-year-old came into shot, the camera was fixed on him for his reaction and he simply shouted ‘AMAZING’. It was a debut to remember for the midfielder with Luke McCowan also thrusted into derby action late on. Fellow new Bhoys Auston Trusty and Alex Valle were part of the matchday squad but neither made it off the bench.

Speaking after the game, Rodgers said: “We’ve seen from pre-season that mentality to defend, And if the team does break through then you’ve got Kasper who’s a world-class goalkeeper to make the save.

“Keeping the clean sheet was important to us. That takes hunger and mentality. It’s a decision to want to go and defend and press.

“To score the goals and create the opportunities was great. But the defensive part of the game is still very important. From the first day of pre-season, the players’ focus and work rate has been very impressive.’

“I thought we were electric going forward today at times, and we had good opportunities to be even more convincing. But I’m so pleased to get to this period. We can now analyse, reset and come back really excited for the next game against Hearts.”

Celtic struck gold by selling a star whose value has plummeted by £18m

The summer transfer window officially slammed shut for business on Friday night and Celtic ended it with only one major sale from their first-team squad.

Central midfielder Matt O’Riley departed from Parkhead after a return of 18 goals and 13 assists in 37 appearances in the Scottish Premiership last season.

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to sign the Denmark international for a Scottish record transfer fee of more than £25m.

This comes after the Premiership champions had equalled the record sale when they cashed in on one of their star players in the previous summer window.

How much Celtic sold Jota for

Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad swooped in to sign Portuguese wizard Jota from the Hoops for a reported fee of £25m, which was the joint-most expensive sale in Scotland’s history at the time.

The impressive winger had only joined Celtic on a permanent basis from Benfica in the summer of 2022, after his return of ten goals and ten assists in 29 Premiership matches during his loan spell in the 2021/22 campaign.

22/23 Premiership

Jota

Appearances

33

Goals

11

Assists

11

Big chances created

13

Key passes per game

1.9

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Jota followed up on his impressive loan stint in Glasgow with an even better return in front of goal in his second season at Parkhead.

The 25-year-old star, who Benfica youth coach Joao Tralhao claimed has “star quality”, racked up 21 goals and 21 assists in just two league seasons with the Bhoys, which convinced Al Ittihad to splash £25m on him last summer.

Whilst it may have been seen as a blow at the time, due to his contributions on the pitch, Celtic struck gold by selling Jota as his value has plummeted over the past 12 months.

Jota’s current market value

The right-footed attacker completed a move to Ligue 1 side Rennes at the end of the summer transfer window after a difficult year in Saudi Arabia.

Fabrizio Romano reported that the French outfit agreed a fee of around €8m (£7m) and that is a staggering fall from the £25m he went for last year, with his value plummeting by a staggering £18m.

The former Celtic star only played 25 games in his year at Al Ittihad, producing five goals and one assist, and made just 16 appearances in the Pro League.

Jota failed to force his way into the team on a regular basis and, within 12 months, the Saudi Arabian side decided to take a huge hit on him by selling the forward to Rennes for £18m less than what they paid the Bhoys for him.

This shows that the Scottish giants hit the jackpot when they negotiated a £25m deal with the Pro League side ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, as they cashed in on him at his peak value and have now watched on as he has struggled elsewhere.

Luke McCowan £1m Hibs transfer bid revealed as Malky Mackay pulls back curtain on Celtic deadline day gazump

The Easter Road club had set aside £1m which would have been their record signing for the Dundee captain

Hibernian sporting director Malky MacKay

Malky Mackay has revealed Hibs set aside £1million to sign Luke McCowan from Dundee before they were gazumped by Celtic on deadline day.

The Easter Road club made multiple attempts to sign the midfielder this summer and felt they had a chance on the final day of the window after tabling what would have been a record fee to land their 26-year-old target. When the Hoops arrived, though, that put paid to Hibs’ efforts and Mackay understands how Hibs missed out.

He did explain, though, that the club were unwilling to throw away the same cash from the owners on another signing “for the sake of it” as he insists McCowan was a specific target throughout the window who couldn’t be replaced by a throwaway incoming from down south.

“The Luke McCowan one was very particular signing,” he told the Evening News, adding: “It was one who clearly is one of the best midfielders outside of the Old Firm, in Scotland. And data backs that up. Forget the naked eye. His numbers over the last two years show how productive he’s been, so he’s a very specific player.

“There are not a lot of them around. Certainly in the timescale we were looking at. To go and find another version of Luke McCowan, that’s not easy. Now, we had an owner absolutely willing to back that signing. Let me be really clear about that.

“I’ll tell you that he wanted to back it to the tune of a million pounds. The man was prepared to back that. I don’t mind saying that our owner was going to spend that. Obviously once Celtic come in, you are not going to get that player. There’s not a lot we can do about that.

“But our conversations with Dundee were all conducted in good faith. And our owner was really prepared to back the football club by going to get a very specific player. It went right down to the wire, it really did. It was an hour from deadline. It’s not as if we knew for definite that Celtic were going to come in for him – it went down to 10 o’clock on the night, when we were told that we’d been outbid.

“It wasn’t a case of us saying: ‘OK, what do we do with the million pounds?’ Because I’m not in the business of just spending the owner’s money for the sake of it. It’s got to be specifics – and we have to make sure we don’t make mistakes with finances and investment, meaning we repent at our leisure.

“We could have jumped onto another target, spent the money and then ended up thinking: ‘Actually, this guy isn’t any better than what we have in the building.’ That’s a long and convoluted way of saying that just because the money is there, that doesn’t mean the opportunity is there.

“I mean, if you look at the English market just now, it’s massively over-inflated. There is very little value for money there. Every club is finding that out. After Brexit, rules concerning players from abroad vastly changed in England. With a smaller pool of players to look at, the lower leagues are becoming vastly over-inflated in terms of cost versus value.

“So for me to go and spend a million pounds with a club down in England, would I have got the same value as Luke McCowan? Absolutely not. So it was a very specific signing. All of our other business was being done to build a spine of the team, bringing in good professionals and good leaders, good characters.”

Former Celtic midfielder Stuart Armstrong set for MLS switch

Former Celtic midfielder Stuart Armstrong is set to make the switch to the MLS. The 32-year-old has been a free agent since the summer and had been training with Brentford.

However, Armstrong is set to make a move to Vancouver Whitecaps in a fairly bizarre move from a player that could still be performing at a decent level.

According to Record Sport, Armstrong is set to make the move to the Canadian outfit as he goes to compete in the MLS with ex-Dundee United teammate Ryan Gauld.

Armstrong was released by Southampton after failing to agree new terms following their promotion to the Premier League. Celtic sold Armstrong in the summer of 2018 in a deal worth in excess of £7m. The departure was inevitable as Armstrong clearly wanted to have a crack at the Premier League.

Armstrong was a top player for Celtic, really kicking on under Brendan Rodgers and helping Celtic towards a Double Treble. After signing alongside Gary Mackay-Steven, Armstrong went onto make 144 appearances for Celtic, scoring 28 times and racking up 25 assists.

Watch: TV Cameras Pick up Great Scenes from the Stands in Celtic’s Derby Win

Some amazing footage has surfaced showing a young fan crowd-surfing in the stands as Celtic clinched a decisive 3-0 victory over Rangers in the season’s first Glasgow Derby at Celtic Park.

Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Rangers – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – September 1, 2024 Celtic fans inside the stadium before the match Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Celtic once again asserted their dominance in Scottish football with a strong performance, initially having a goal by Kyogo disallowed for offside against Nicolas Kuhn after a VAR check. However, the setback did little to deter the home side, and Daizen Maeda quickly put Celtic ahead with a sharp finish.

The atmosphere in the North Curve was electric, particularly among the Green Brigade, where the jubilant crowd-surfing incident took place as the match neared its conclusion.

— e – GrandOLTeam (@JBLuvsCeltic) September 1, 2024

Celtic’s relentless pressure continued throughout the game, with Kyogo doubling the lead before half-time. This marked his eighth goal in clashes against Rangers.

New signings Arne Engels and Luke McCowan made their debuts from the bench in the second half, adding fresh energy to the team. The definitive moment came in the 75th minute when captain Callum McGregor sealed the victory with a stunning long-range strike.

The match concluded at 3-0, with Celtic comfortably controlling the game, with the Celtic backline not tested too much.

The supporter’s crowd-surfing moment perfectly captured the joy and unity among Celtic fans, celebrating yet another memorable derby triumph.

Celtic Not Walking Away From Deal, Continuing Talks With Championship Side

Celtic are refusing to give up on their bid to bring in Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty, according to Sky Sports News.

Brendan Rodgers has shifted out fringe centre-backs Yuki Kobayashi and Gustaf Lagerbielke, with the former leaving permanently and the latter heading away from Parkhead on loan.

Celtic want to get a new centre-back in through the door before the window closes and they are focusing on former Arsenal man Trusty.

A bid of £5m has been turned down by Sheffield United, but Celtic do not consider that the end of the matter and are continuing to hold talks with the Blades.

Trusty played the full 90 minutes for Sheffield United in their 1-1 draw with Norwich City last weekend.

He also featured in the EFL Cup against Barnsley on Tuesday night.

Convincing Chris Wilder to sanction the exit of the American before the window closes may be tough and Celtic look likely to need to dig deep.

It was thought Sheffield United would be cooperative when Mikey Johnston headed to Bramall Lane, but that move has collapsed.

Trusty, who has been capped by the United States at international level, made over 100 appearances in the MLS before heading to Europe.

Celtic eye £20m trio, Rangers move for attacker and defender, Scotland striker sold for £1.5m – transfer news

The latest transfer news and speculation around Scottish football

Celtic receive shock £10m bid

Hot on the heels of Matt O’Riley’s £26million departure to Brighton, Celtic have received another big-money offer for one of their first-team stars. Fellow midfielder Reo Hatate has had an impressive start to the new season and that has not gone unnoticed with links to Premier League side Leicester City emerging recently. However, in a shock move, an club in France has launched a £10million bid for the Japanese international. According to the Daily Mail, Celtic are unwilling to lose any more key players this window and refused to entertain the offer from the unnamed Ligue 1 side. An approach from Russian side Zenit St Petersburg was also rebuffed earlier in the window. Hatate is under contract until 2028 and while he has expressed a desire to play at a higher level, he is said to be in no rush to leave Glasgow and will not be leaving before Friday’s 11pm deadline.

Rangers target Bundesliga defender

Following the departure of Ben Davies, who has joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan, Rangers are in the market for a replacement centre-half. The club were linked with a move for Brazilian defender Kaiky last week, who is currently with Almeria, however, it has been reported that a loan offer with an option to buy has been turned down by the Spanish second tier side. Fresh reports on Wednesday have credited Rangers with an interest in Hoffenheim centre-back Stanley Nsoki. According to French outlet L’Equipe, talks have taken place between the Ibrox side and the Bundesliga outfit over a loan move. The player is well known to Rangers boss Philippe Clement, who had him in his squad while he was manager of Club Brugge.

Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes has joined Birmingham City from Queens Park Rangers. | PA

Scotland striker sold for £1.5m

Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes has dropped down to League One after ending his four-year association with Queens Park Rangers to sign for Birmingham on a three-year contract. The 28-year-old joined the West London club from Livingston in August 2020 and scored 37 goals for the Championship club. However, after making only two substitute appearances this term since returning from the injury that ruled him out of the Euro 2024 earlier this summer, Dykes has moved to Birmingham for a reported £1.5million fee. “The club has a clear aim for where they want to go in the future,” Dykes told the Blues website after his transfer was announced on Wednesday. “It is ambitious and that is like myself as a player. I want to get to the top and I am hoping that can be with Birmingham. There are quality players here and I can’t wait to get started. It is a top-class club and I want to help it get back to where it belongs and further.”

Celtic eye £20m trio

Celtic are still hoping to land at least three more new signings before Friday’s transfer deadline following the arrival of left-back Alex Valle on a season-long loan from Barcelona. Valle, 20, who played last season on loan at Levante after a spell at Andorra, is the first new outfield signing Celtic have made this summer. Now the club are ramping up attempts to land Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels amid reports that a £10million offer has been submitted for the Belgium Under-21 international. Celtic are also looking to strike a deal for Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty after placing a £5.5million offer. A move for Los Angeles FC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz is off the table after the clubs failed to agree a fee, however, according to reports, Celtic have now turned their attentions back to FC Lausanne playmaker Alvyn Sanches. The midfielder, 21, was previously linked with Celtic in January but the interest has now been revived following the departure of Matt O’Riley. The valuations of the three players could see Celtic spend up to £20m in the final throes of the transfer window.

Rangers target Nedim Bajrami celebrates scoring for Albania against Italy at Euro 2024. (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Rangers move for 25 y/o attacker

With Scott Wright and Todd Cantwell edging towards the Ibrox exit door, Rangers are scouring the market for attacking players to take their place. According to one report, Albanian international Nedim Bajrami has emerged as a priority target. The Rangers Review claim that the Light Blues are in “advanced talks” with the 25-year-old’s current club Sassuolo over a loan deal with an option to buy. Bajrami suffered relegation from Serie A with Sassuolo last season and is looking to move on before the transfer deadline. He was part of the Albania squad at Euro 2024 in Germany this summer, where he scored the tournament’s fastest-ever goal after 23 seconds in a 2-1 defeat against Italy. Rangers’ interest in the player comes as Cantwell closes in on a move to Blackburn Rovers with Wright nearing a switch to Birmingham City.

Celtic would look for a fee of around £20m for Kyogo amid Man City interest

Manchester City are yet to lodge a formal bid for Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi but their interest in the Japanese international is genuine with a move possible in the coming days, according to the Daily Mail.

The Premier League club want the 29-year-old Hoops star as a potential replacement for Argentine forward Julian Alvarez, who they sold to Atletico Madrid for £82 million.

Agreeing personal terms with the Celtic ace would not be a problem given his desire to move to Man City, and the Daily Mail claim the Parkhead club would look for a fee of around £20m for his services.

They insist Celtic would be unlikely to block on any deal if the English giants came to the negotiations table with more than £20m.

It is not up to the initial £25m (plus add-ons/bonuses and a sell-on clause) Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly agreed to pay for Denmark international midfielder Matt O’Riley – which is around the fees the Bhoys got from the sales of Kieran Tierney and Jota, but it could indeed be tempting enough for Celtic.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has signed Adam Idah, but he would be keen to bring in another forward should the Japanese leave in the coming days.

Celtic recruited Kyogo for £4.5m in July 2021, and the opportunity to make around five times that value would be good business.

Their recruitment team will already be looking at their database to identify a perfect replacement for the Asian capable of giving Idah a run for his money.

Celtic will fancy their chances of surviving without the services of Kyogo, and they will not likely stand in his way if he expresses a desire to join Man City and the Etihad Stadium club meet their demands.

 

Celtic Kyogo Furuhashi transfer price tag ‘revealed’

Kyogo Furuhashi is a reported Manchester City transfer target (Image: SNS)

Celtic will demand at least £20m to sell Kyogo Furuhashi to Manchester City, according to a report.

The Premier League club are thought to be considering a transfer swoop for the Japan striker after Julian Alvarez moved to Atletico Madrid.

But any deal will have to topple £20m for Celtic to sanction the transfer, according to the Daily Mail.

The outlet reports Celtic would be ‘unlikely to block’ a transfer if a £20m fee is offered for the striker.

Kyogo still has three years left on his Celtic contract and there is no need for the striker to be sold.

Brendan Rodgers recently signed Adam Idah on a permanent deal after a loan spell in Glasgow from Norwich – with Daizen Maeda having deputised as a central striker in the win over Hibs last weekend.

Kyogo missed the match as a precaution after suffering a shoulder  injury in league action.

On Kyogo’s omission, Rodgers commented: “Clearly, the shoulder that he got injured last weekend,” the Hoops manager told BBC Scotland.

“He doesn’t feel 100 per cent but normally he is okay to go again.

“This is a problem that he has had or managed from away back in Japan, not just here.

“It’s something that we felt we didn’t need to take the risk with it this weekend.

“He has been fantastic for us all the way through pre-season, done very well and for this one here – especially now having Adam Idah back, who is not quite there in terms of fitness or where we’d want him to be but he is certainly going to be an option for us.

“That allows us then to recover Kyogo.

“It can be [fixed] if he has an operation but that will be down to him.

“He clearly hasn’t wanted that for a number of years.”

Meanwhile, Matt O’Riley has been tipped to leave Celtic for Brighton in a record-breaking deal.

The midfielder has been at the centre of transfer speculation all summer with bids from Atalanta thrown out by club chiefs.

 

Celtic transfers: Japanese player seals exit, three bids for defender rejected, O’Riley replacements lined up

The latest transfer news and speculation surrounding Celtic

Johnston eyed by Clarets

Mikey Johnston could be set for a return to the English Championship following his successful loan spell at West Brom last season. The Republic of Ireland winger has made just one substitute appearance for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season despite impressing at West Brom, where he scored seven goals in 20 appearances. The Baggies were said to be exploring a possible return for Johnston, but according to Football Insider, fellow Championship side Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are now eyeing a move for the 25-year-old.

Three bids for defender rejected

Celtic have reportedly turned down three seperate approaches for defender Cameron Carter-Vickers after receiving approaches from Italy and Turkey. According to the Express, Galatasaray, Besiktas and Atalanta have all contacted Celtic over a possible move for the US international centre-back, but have been turned away. Celtic look set to lose midfielder Matt O’Riley before the deadline with discussions ongoing over a £25million transfer to Brighton so keeping hold of other key members of the starting 11 such as Carter-Vickers is a priority.

Kyogo on Pep’s radar

Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi has emerged as a shock transfer target for Manchester City. The English Premier League champions are in the market for a new forward to provide cover and competition for Erling Haaland following the £82million departure of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid. And, according to reports, City have whittled down their transfer targets down to Kyogo, 29, and one other other younger forward. It is claimed that personal terms would not be an issue with the Japanese international keen on joining Pep Guardiola’s side despite the lack of guarantees over regular first-team football at the Etihad.

Lagerbielke set for move

Out-of-favour Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke is closing in on a loan move to the Netherlands. The Swedish international made just 10 appearances for the club following last summer’s arrival from Elfsborg. A proposed loan move to Italian side Lecce collapsed in January due to an injury to Cameron Carter-Vickers. The Serie A side have been linked again this summer but it now appears that Lagerbielke will be joining Dutch outfit Heerenveen. According to Sky Sports, negotations over a move to the Eredivisie side are at an advanced stage.

Johnston eyed by Clarets

Mikey Johnston could be set for a return to the English Championship following his successful loan spell at West Brom last season. The Republic of Ireland winger has made just one substitute appearance for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season despite impressing at West Brom, where he scored seven goals in 20 appearances. The Baggies were said to be exploring a possible return for Johnston, but according to Football Insider, fellow Championship side Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are now eyeing a move for the 25-year-old.

Japanese player seals exit

Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi has left the club. That is according to media in Portugal, who claim that the 24-year-old centre-back has completed a move to Portimonense. A report in O Jogo, which included a picture of the player arriving in the country, states that a deal has already been agreed with Celtic with Kobayashi joining the Premiera Liga club on a four-year contract. Kobayashi, who signed for Celtic in January 2023 under Ange Postecoglou, did not play a single minute for the Celtic first team under Brendan Rodgers last season.

O’Riley replacements lined up

With Matt O’Riley edging towards a £25million move to Brighton, Celtic are in the market for midfield reinforcements. Names being linked include Augsburg’s Arne Engels, Lausanne midfielder Alvyn Sanches and Los Angeles star Mateusz Bogusz. 20-year-old Engels, who featured 32 times in the Bundesliga last season, scoring three goals and five assists, is valued at around £10million by his club. Sanches, meanwhile, is rated at around £4.3million, with clubs around Europe said to be keen on the 21-year-old winger, who has been compared to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. Bogusz, 22, has excellent stats in the MLS with 16 goals and six assists from 32 appearances. Reports claim Celtic would need to spend up between £6-£8million to get this move over the line. There is also rumoured interest from Celtic in Dundee’s Luke McCowan, who would be a cheaper option, with a fee of around £1million likely to secure his signature ahead of his contract expiring next summer.

Report: Celtic Not Banking On Matt O’Riley Exit To Sign Target

Celtic do not see the addition of a midfielder they are in talks to sign as dependent upon the departure of Matt O’Riley, according to Sky Sports News.

The Scottish champions could soon cash in on O’Riley, with a lucrative offer on the table from Premier League side Brighton.

Brendan Rodgers has already admitted he cannot sign a like for like replacement for O’Riley and is likely to instead look to bring in two midfielders.

Celtic are now holding talks with MLS side LAFC in an effort to sign former Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Bogusz.

The Polish attacking midfielder is available, but only for the right price, and Celtic will have to splash the cash to get him.

Celtic though are not pinning the arrival of Bogusz on the exit of O’Riley.

The club want to sign Bogusz even if they keep hold of O’Riley and their interest in him is not related to what happens to the Dane.

Bogusz, 23, could not break through at Leeds and was sent out on loans to Spanish sides Logrones and Ibiza.
He then headed for LAFC on a permanent deal last year.

 

Celtic Closing in on £8m Deal – Report

After reports earlier today Celtic were in talks, it has now been revealed Celtic are closing in on a deal for LAFC’s highly-rated midfielder Mateusz Bogusz.

Scott Burn’s writes in RecordSport that The Hoops are in advanced talks with the Major League Soccer club over an £8 million transfer for the 22-year-old Pole, who is eager for another shot at a major European club after his stint with Leeds United.

Bogusz’s potential move to Celtic Park would see him following the footsteps of Artur Boruc, Magic Zurawski and more recently Patryk Klimala and current first team squad player Maik Nawroki. Negotiations have been progressing well, and there are not expected to be any hurdles in agreeing personal terms with the player.

The midfielder has been playing under 21s for Poland but is expected to be called up to the senior squad for the Nation’s league.

Rodgers hinted at the need for reinforcements in the midfield following Celtic’s weekend victory over Dundee, and Bogusz could be just the player to fill that gap. However, the situation is fluid as Celtic are also considering other midfield options, especially if Matt O’Riley departs. Brighton have been in discussions with Celtic over a potential record-breaking sale for O’Riley, which could trigger further moves in the market. You have to imagine the board are only comfortable spending £8m on Bogusz because of Matt’s potential fee to Brighton.

Augsburg’s Arne Engels is one player on Celtic’s radar, but his signing would likely depend on the funds generated from O’Riley’s potential sale.

We know Celtic are a selling club and when players are moved on it’s up to the club to find new stars. Let’s hope this is one of them!

One thing Victor Orta did deserve credit for was his ability to bring in an unknown teenage talent before the had become a household name while at Leeds United.

In the first team at Leeds currently include players like Illan Meslier, Pascal Struijk, Mateo Joseph and Wilfried Gnonto. All bought by Orta and his recruitment team as teenagers for tiny transfer fees.

Leeds have benefitted this summer, with another signed as a teen and turned into a proven elite player in the form of Crysencio Summerville leaving for West Ham. The Hammers have spent an initial £25m fee.

Plenty have come and gone, or fallen through the net. One that Leeds might feel a little bit of regret towards is Polish star Mateusz Bogusz after he was signed by Leeds as a 17-year-old from Ruch Churzow.

Mateusz Bogusz starring in America a year after leaving Leeds

Having only managed three senior appearances for Leeds during the Marcelo Bielsa era, Bogusz was loaned to Logrones before a move to Ibiza where he impressed before suffering an ACL injury.

Having recovered from that, the “talent” as described by Mateusz Klich returned to Ibiza for a second loan before he was recalled by Leeds and sold to MLS side LAFC who were looking to replace Gareth Bale.

In his first season, Bogusz scored four goals and laid on eight in 42 games. Not the best of numbers but this time around, he has scored a whopping 16 goals in 32 games and has laid on another six assists.

Celtic looking to replace Kyogo Furuhashi with Bogusz signing

An attacking midfielder during his time at Elland Road and on loan in Spain, and indeed during his first season with LAFC, he has since been moulded into a centre-forward or a false nine with the MLS outfit.

According to Meczyki, Celtic are ‘seriously’ interested in signing Bogusz with a fee between £6.8m and £8m said to be enough for his services. Talks are underway between the Scottish champions and LAFC.

With Kyogo a shock target for Premier League champions Manchester City, it could be that Celtic are looking to replace the Japan star and Bogusz could be the man they turn to to fire them to the title.

 

Sky Sport:  Heerenveen in advanced talks to sign Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke

Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke is edging closer to securing his exit from the Glasgow club before the end of the window. 

Dutch club Heerenveen have made a move to sign the 24-year-old centre-back, who will be allowed to leave the club this summer.

Back in June, Italian club Lecce made several approaches to sign the Swedish defender, and the club looked to sign him on loan with an option to buy permanently.

He was close to leaving the Scottish champions in January, but his move to Lecce was stalled after Cameron Carter-Vickers picked up an injury.

His situation at Celtic Park has not improved, and now he is close to joining Dutch outfit Heerenveen.

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Dutch club are in “advanced talks” to sign the Celtic defender over a loan deal.

The defender has struggled to break into the team following his £3 million move from Elfsborg last summer. Celtic have been open to offers for the Swedish international.

Joseph wrote on X: “UPDATE: Heerenveen are in advanced talks with Celtic over a loan deal for centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke.

“Celtic have been open to offers for the 24-year-old, who has struggled to break into the team following his £3m move from Elfsborg last summer.”

Celtic are also close to losing their star midfielder Matt O’Riley, who is on the verge of joining Premier League club Brighton.

Lagerbielke scored the winner against Feyenoord in the Champions League, but he has somehow failed to make a strong impression under Brendan Rodgers.

The centre-back has a contract at Parkhead until 2028, and Celtic can afford to let him go out on loan. If he enjoys a successful spell, Celtic can then look to demand a high transfer fee to offload him permanently.

It appears that talks are ongoing at an advanced stage, and since it’s a loan move, the defender should be able to seal a temporary exit from Celtic Park.

 

Celtic boost as ‘transfer target asking price dropped‘

Alvyn Sanches has been linked with a move to Celtic this summer (Image: Getty)

FC Lausanne-Sport have reduced their asking price for Celtic transfer target Alvyn Sanches, according to reports.

It’s claimed the Swiss club have chopped their valuation of the 21-year-old midfielder by £1m.

Brendan Rodgers is thought to be keen on Sanches with Celtic having reportedly held extensive talks over a transfer move, but no formal bid has been made.

The Express claims Celtic have been tracking Sanches for the last 18 months with scouts expecting the player to develop into a top talent.

While several clubs are thought to be interested in Sanches, it’s claimed Celtic have ‘done more legwork than most’ in discussing a possible transfer deal.

The outlet have also stated Celtic would only have to shell out £3m on Sanches, rather than the £4m initial transfer demand.

While FC Lausanne-Sport are under no pressure to sell, it’s thought Celtic would have no issue agreeing personal terms with the player should a fee be finalised.

Ramon Vega previously tipped Sanches to become a £20m player should he make the move to Celtic as a possible replacement for Matt O’Riley.

“Alvyn Sanches is a good prospect, especially for a club like Celtic,” he said. “He is a great talent. I have read that Celtic are in the market for a Matt O’Riley replacement. To fill that void will be very difficult. If Celtic signed Sanches now then he could make them a lot of money in resell value in two to three years.

“If Sanches signed for Celtic now and he did well, I could see him becoming Celtic’s next £20 to £25 million-plus player just like O’Riley.  If he signs for a club like Celtic and plays the way I think he can play then within two years he would be a minimum £20 million player.”

 

Exclusive: Burnley work on deal to sign Celtic’s Mikey Johnston

Burnley are lining up a move for Celtic winger Mikey Johnston before the close of the transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.

Johnston, 25, is back at Celtic after spending the second half of last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

The Republic of Ireland international impressed during his time in England, scoring seven goals in 20 games to help the Baggies reach the play-offs.

Burnley are in the market for a new winger having sold Wilson Odobert to Tottenham and Johnston figures highly on their wanted list.

The skilful attacker is likely to remain down the pecking order at Celtic under Brendan Rodgers this season and the Clarets are hoping to lure him to Turf Moor.

Burnley line up late-window swoop for Celtic winger Johnston

Johnston has played 15 minutes for the Hoops this term and is under contract at Parkhead until June 2026.

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He came through the Glasgow giants’ academy and has hit 13 goals in 93 appearances for his boyhood club.

Burnley have wrapped up eight new signings this summer and Football Insider revealed on Wednesday (21 August) that Joe Worrall is undergoing a Turf Moor medical ahead of a permanent move.

Join the Football Insider WhatsApp channel to get all our exclusives and the breaking transfer news FIRST.

Scott Parker’s side have started the Championship campaign with two wins and nine goals from two games.

 

Celtic defender completes permanent move to Portugal

Portimonense have signed Yuki Koabayashi on a four year contract.

The defender never played a minute of first team football under Brendan Rodgers after arriving at Celtic as a free agent from Vissel Kobe in January 2023.

His arrival resulted in Celtic cancelling the loan deal for Moritz Jenz with Kobayashi the back up option to the established Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers partnership.

Physicality always seemed an issue, playing in the post split fixtures at Ibrox and Easter Road in May 2023 proved to be the end of the road for the 23-year-old with Tomoki Iwata dropped into defence for the final two matches of the season.

Tonight Portuguese publisher O-Jogo reports:

The transfer market is booming at Portimonense, which has secured three more signings in the last few hours: Japanese defender Yuki Kobayashi, Portuguese midfielder Nuno Campos and Angolan forward Chico Banza. This trio succeeds Brazilian centre-back Jefferson, who has already arrived in the Algarve and has been immediately under the command of Sérgio Vieira.

The main new signing is the 24-year-old Japanese international Kobayashi, who used to play for Celtic – either as a centre-back or on the left – and has signed a four-year deal and is now in Portugal. Nuno Campos, 31, is a right winger who has terminated his contract with Torreense and is joining for one season, while Chico Banza, 25, an Angolan international, is on loan from Cypriot side Anorthosis, in what is a return to Portuguese football, where he previously played for Leixões and Marítimo.

Getting a permanent move for a player surplus to requirements to move out on a permanent basis is a boost to Celtic’s finances and reduces the first team squad down to a more manageable level.

With Gus Lagerbielke a target for Heerenveen the surplus of central defenders looks like being whittled away with 10 days left in the transfer window.

Celtic played two pre-season friendlies last season against Portimonense, last season they finished 16th in the 18 team Liga Portugal.

 

Report names three clubs that have had Carter-Vickers bids rejected

Celtic are reported to have turned down offers from three clubs to sign Cameron Carter-Vickers.

After almost a year struggling with injury problems the former Spurs defender has been a fixture in the Celtic defence since the start of April, playing a key role in securing the domestic double.

In January Carter-Vickers signed a contract extension but as the current speculation about Matt O’Riley demonstrates a contract simply strengthens Celtic’s hand in negotiating transfer fees.

this afternoon The Express transfer blog reported:

Celtic are not open to selling Cameron Carter-Vickers in this window despite receiving interest from Italy and Turkey.

Express Sport understands that Galatasaray have enquired about the former Tottenham centre-back before being knocked back by the Hoops.

Besiktas and Serie A side Atalanta have also been turned away after making contact over a possible move for Carter-Vickers.

Celtic are determined to avoid further high-profile departures if star midfielder Matt O’Riley completes his move to Brighton.

Despite signing Gus Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki last summer, coupled with the emergence of Liam Scales whenever he was fit it was a case of Carter-Vickers and AN Other in the Celtic defence.

Most fans would be looking for Celtic to sign a partner of similar quality to the former Spurs man, selling Carter-Vickers would leave as big a gap in defence as the expected exit of O’Riley from the hoops midfield.

 

“It’s interesting” – Chris Sutton makes Adam Idah claim as Celtic sign Norwich City ace

Former Norwich City striker and pundit Chris Sutton believes the Canaries made the right decision to sell striker Adam Idah to Celtic.

Idah spent the second half of last season on loan at Celtic Park, and scored a number of crucial goals to help Brendan Rodgers’ side retain the Scottish Premiership title, as well as netting a 90th-minute winner in the Scottish Cup final against Old Firm rivals Rangers.

Adam Idah’s stats for Celtic last season (according to Transfermarkt)

Appearances

19

Goals

9

Assists

2

New Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup had initially hinted that he was keen to keep Idah, but with increasing speculation about his future, the 23-year-old failed to turn up for a flight to the club’s pre-season camp in Austria last month.

Idah was disciplined for the incident, and he did feature as a substitute in the Canaries’ 2-0 defeat at Oxford United on the opening day of the season, but he completed a permanent move to Celtic last week in a deal worth up to £9.5 million.

Thorup said Idah’s exit was “a good deal for everyone”, and Norwich are reportedly set to use the money received for the Irishman to sign Rakow Czestochowa striker Ante Crnac.

Sutton: Adam Idah sale was a good deal for Norwich City

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, via Instant Withdrawal Casino, Sutton said that selling Idah to Celtic for £9.5 million is good business for Norwich, but he believes the striker will be a loss for the Canaries.

“It’s interesting because if you ask a Norwich fan whether he’s worth £9.5 million, based on his performances at Norwich and the time he was there, they would say probably not,” Sutton said.

“If you ask a Celtic fan if he’s worth £9.5 million, they’d say that he came in and really did excellently.

“I think that’s the going rate, if you look at Celtic, they brought Odsonne Edouard in a few years ago for £9 million as a development player from PSG.

“If you compare the two and you look at Adam Idah’s profile in terms of his age and development, he will improve under Brendan Rodgers.

“It depends which way you want to look at it, but I think Norwich fans will say it’s a good deal.

“In pre-season, there was an incident where he refused to fly to a pre-season game and he got a bit of a dressing down for that, but he always had his heart set on a move to Celtic.

“I always felt that he thought it was probably going to happen and there needed to be a bit of patience, and eventually the deal got over the line.

“Celtic only have Kyogo Furuhashi as a striker, I know Daizen Maida has played there and scored a couple of goals at the weekend, but Celtic certainly needed that different type of centre-forward.

“Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi dovetailed well last season, so I think he’s a good signing for Celtic.

“But he will be a loss for Norwich, I think there was a player in there and he was always a bit of a frustration.

“Celtic have seen him at his very best and Norwich haven’t quite seen that, so I think Norwich fans accept that this was a move that was probably best for all parties.”

Norwich City were right to cash in on Adam Idah

Thorup will be disappointed to lose Idah, and there is no doubt that he could have been a big asset for Norwich this season, but it was the correct decision for the Canaries to sell him.

It was clear that Idah was keen to return to Celtic on a permanent basis, and as Sutton says, receiving £9.5 million for the striker is an excellent deal for Norwich.

Sutton is right that Idah will be a loss for the Canaries, but he did struggle to deliver consistently during his time at Carrow Road, and it seems unlikely he would have been able to force his way into the starting line-up this season ahead of Josh Sargent.

The Canaries look set to spend the income from the sale of Idah on Crnac, but given that he has scored just nine goals in 40 appearances for Rakow Czestochowa, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to perform in the Championship.

 

Heerenveen CEO, Ferry de Haan, has shared how close his club are to signing Gustaf Lagerbielke before the transfer window closes next month.

We discussed yesterday how Lagerbielke had held talks with Celtic about a possible loan move out of the club with the Eredivisie side and Belgium’s KV Mechelen both reported to be interested in securing his signature.

Lagerbielke has been frozen out for much of his Celtic career after making his £3m move from Elfsborg last summer and has made just ten appearances in the Hoops.

Hereenveen ‘hopeful’ of completing Celtic deal

With interest in the Swedish defender high, the Dutch club CEO seems that he is quietly confident after being asked about a possible deal being struck with Celtic.

De Haan told Leeuwarder Courant, “It is not a done deal yet, but we are hopeful that it will work out.

“With Pawel Bochniewicz and Sam Kersten, we now have two central defenders.

“Mateja Milovanovic is still behind them but needs some time. We want to have a good line-up in the centre of defence.”

Why Hereenveen want Celtic defender

Hereenveen had a tough season in the Dutch flight last year finishing in 11th place, eight points behind the European play-off places and just eight points above the relegation zone.

The Dutch side also conceded 70 goals last season which is 17 more than they scored so it is clear that they have defensive deficiencies they need to address.

Clearly, Hereenveen has earmarked Lagerbielke as one who can improve their defensive fortunes despite his lack of minutes for Celtic.

His international experience and the fact that he is a former Swedish Defender of the Year proves that Lagerbielke has the quality but does now need to get first-team football to show it.

Unfortunately, it looks like that won’t happen at Celtic and a move away from Paradise now looks like it may well be on the cards.

 

Mikey Johnston ‘eyed’ by Burnley, 3 Carter-Vickers bids ‘rejected’ and latest on 2 targets – Celtic transfer state of play

It’s all moving fast now as Celtic put the final touches on their squad ahead of next Friday’s deadline

Out-of-favour Mikey Johnston is reportedly being eyed up by Burnley with the winger seemingly set for a return to the EFL.

The Celtic academy graduate impressed on loan at West Brom last season and seven goals in 20 appearances threatened to breathe new life into his stagnating career. He returned to Parkhead in the summer though and has assumed his previous role as a backup option under Brendan Rodgers, with 15 minutes off the bench against Hibs earlier this month his lot so far.

He wasn’t even in the squad for the Premier Sports Cup clash with the Hibees at the weekend with Luis Palma and Yang both getting off the bench to replace Nicolas Kuhn and James Forrest. Daizen Maeda would normally fill one of those wide berths but he was needed to lead the line – indicating Johnston is now viewed as sixth in the pecking order.

An exit would make sense given Rodgers is thought to be keen on strengthening out wide before the window closes, one of four positions he plans to beef up in before the deadline a week on Friday – a new striker, a new midfielder and competition at left-back also sought.

And now Football Insider report that Burnley are in the mix for Johnston having been impressed by his showings at West Brom last season. They say Scott Parker wants Johnston as a replacement for Wilson Odobert who joined Tottenham with the Celtic man ‘figuring highly’ on his list of targets.

Elsewhere Celts have reportedly knocked back three approaches for Cameron Carter-Vickers – and are determined not to lose more key men this window. The Hoops are bracing for Matt O’Riley’s move to Brighton and have also seen recent interest in Reo Hatate ramp up.

Cameron Carter-Vickers tussles with Hibernian’s Mykola Kukharevych (L) and Warren O’Hora

But one man they are seemingly determined not to lose is Carter-Vickers. Express Sport report that Galatsasray, Besiktas and Atalanta have all made their interest known but been shown the door with Rodgers not interested in losing a key defender. Carter-Vickers is the most prominent and established central defensive option and the Parkhead boss sees him as not for sale. That stance will only be reinforced by Gustaf Lagerbielke’s rapidly advancing loan move to the Netherlands.

As far as incomings go, Celtic are getting ahead of O’Riley’s move and Augsburg’s Arne Engels is a name who has fans excited. But it seems they’re casting a wide net for now, with Swiss midfielder Alvyn Sanches and Polish MLS star Mateusz Bogusz among the recent options to emerge.

On Sanches, Rodgers is thought to see the classy Lausanne playmaker as a similar player to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and it’s believed he’ll cost around £3m. On Bogusz, meanwhile, reports from Poland claim that Celtic are “seriously interested” in the one-time Leeds United player and that negotiations with the MLS side are ongoing to try and get a deal done ahead of the August 30 deadline.

The latter seems the further along of the pair as things stand but things move fast this close to the deadline. What’s interesting is that while Engels is a more conservative option, both Bogusz and Sanches are outright creators. The recent pivot to the latter profile of player could indicate Rodgers is looking at a more creative force to replace O’Riley – though the £25m+ on the table for the Dane could free up the funds to sign both

 

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has brought in goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo this summer to fight it out for a place between the sticks.

Expectedly, Schmeichel has come in as the preferred choice under the Irishman. However, there appears to be a succession plan in place, with Sinisalo primed for a future role in the starting line-up.

Scott Bain rounds off the glovesmen for Celtic. In essence, he is now the third choice at the club, supporting the positional pool and holding valuable status as a homegrown asset.

Before the summer window started, there were plenty of questions about who would assume Joe Hart’s duties. Nevertheless, it is one of the areas where the Bhoys have adequately strengthened in the eyes of most supporters.

However, incomings always lead to outgoings and Celtic prospect Tobi Oluwayemi is now closing in on a loan move away from the club.

Tobi Oluwayemi set for Dunfermline Athletic loan move

According to The Daily Record, Oluwayemi is set to complete a move to Scottish Championship outfit Dunfermline on loan after pursuing the Englishman for several weeks.

The 21-year-old is keen to gain regular minutes elsewhere this season, and James McPake’s side are now close to finalising a deal that would see him challenge Deniz Mehmet for the number one jersey.

Oluwayemi was included in Celtic’s pre-season tour of the United States and featured against Ayr United and Queens Park before the trip. He has been on the Pars’ radar for some time, so there will be relief from all sides that an agreement is now in the post.

Last term, he spent time at Admira Wacker in a similar arrangement, keeping five clean sheets in nine matches before injury limited his impact.

At 21 years old, the former Tottenham Hotspur man needs regular exposure to senior football; otherwise, his development will stagnate, making this a smart decision from all involved.

Opinion – Less kits and more signing please, Celtic

Celtic today released a brand new third kit and I’m sure it will sell it it’s droves, but many supporters aren’t happy and it’s not hard to understand why…

The new top will cost as much as £75 for adults and with the recent release of two other shirts that’s quite an expense for those who like their replica shirts, not to mention an extra expense for parents who’s kids will be desperate to own one.

That’s a lot of money for the hard working every day man and woman. Folk like myself who have already commit to paying for a season ticket which isn’t cheap despite the present cost of living.

Yes we don’t need to purchase one, but that’s beside the point. We do pour our hard earned money into the club, a club who have recently declared that they have made record breaking profits, and that’s not counting the massive amount that will be earned from the Champions League, with supporters yet again contributing to that with ticket sales, rumoured to be costing around £200 for each season ticket holder, outside the corporate seats.

There’s also the impending sale of Matt O’Riley to Brighton which is expected to a fetch a record amount for the club as far as transfer outgoings go. And we might even lose Kyogo if Manchester City do come calling.

We don’t actually need more shirts, no matter how good they are. We want our hard earned money reinvested in players. So less merchandise and more players please, it’s about time that the club gave the supporters a break.

Heerenveen in advanced talks to sign Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke

Celtic boost as ‘transfer target asking price dropped’

Alvyn Sanches has been linked with a move to Celtic this summer (Image: Getty)

FC Lausanne-Sport have reduced their asking price for Celtic transfer target Alvyn Sanches, according to reports.

It’s claimed the Swiss club have chopped their valuation of the 21-year-old midfielder by £1m.

Brendan Rodgers is thought to be keen on Sanches with Celtic having reportedly held extensive talks over a transfer move, but no formal bid has been made.

The Express claims Celtic have been tracking Sanches for the last 18 months with scouts expecting the player to develop into a top talent.

While several clubs are thought to be interested in Sanches, it’s claimed Celtic have ‘done more legwork than most’ in discussing a possible transfer deal.

The outlet have also stated Celtic would only have to shell out £3m on Sanches, rather than the £4m initial transfer demand.

While FC Lausanne-Sport are under no pressure to sell, it’s thought Celtic would have no issue agreeing personal terms with the player should a fee be finalised.

Ramon Vega previously tipped Sanches to become a £20m player should he make the move to Celtic as a possible replacement for Matt O’Riley.

“Alvyn Sanches is a good prospect, especially for a club like Celtic,” he said. “He is a great talent. I have read that Celtic are in the market for a Matt O’Riley replacement. To fill that void will be very difficult. If Celtic signed Sanches now then he could make them a lot of money in resell value in two to three years.

“If Sanches signed for Celtic now and he did well, I could see him becoming Celtic’s next £20 to £25 million-plus player just like O’Riley.  If he signs for a club like Celtic and plays the way I think he can play then within two years he would be a minimum £20 million player.”

Former Celtic man wants to leave this summer despite £25m transfer

Former Celtic man wants to leave this summer despite £25m transfer

Celtic cut ties with the player just over 12 months ago

Former Celtic winger Jota has informed Al-Ittihad that he wants to leave this summer, according to a report by Al-Jazirah. The attacker has struggled to settle in Saudi Arabia and is now keen to move on in this window and find himself a new home.

The Hoops sold him to his current club last year for a fee in the region of £25million. However, the 25-year-old is already being linked with an exit from the Saudi Pro League.

The ex-Celtic favourite made 29 appearances for Al-Ittihad in all competitions last season and chipped in with five goals. Al-Jazirah’s report claims he has turned down the chance to join a team in the same league as them.

Al-Ittihad didn’t win a trophy last term and it ended up being a disappointing campaign for them. Jota said: “We apologise to the fans for leaving the King’s Cup and the rest of the tournaments. We have to improve ourselves. We will work to correct the results in the upcoming matches. Al-Ittihad is a big club and will return to winning trophies.”

Celtic signed Jota back in 2021 on an initial loan deal before his move to Glasgow was later made a permanent one. He was a real hit during his time at Celtic Park and fired 28 goals in 83 matches altogether, helping them win the Scottish Premiership twice as well as the Scottish Cup and League Cup.

Ange Postecoglou was his manager during his time in Scotland before his exit to Tottenham Hotspur. The Australian boss was able to get the best out of Jota and said: “Jota in his career before he got to us (Celtic) wasn’t going on the trajectory he wanted and he was the one who made the decision to come here and work hard at his game and improve, and he is. He’s constantly improving, like all the group, and that needs to keep happening because there’s more in them, there’s more in him and I’m sure he’s working his way towards that.”

Jota started his career at Benfica and rose up through the academy ranks there. He was a regular for them at various different youth levels before breaking into their B team. The ex-Portugal youth international then went on to play 33 times for their first-team, as well as having a loan spell away at Real Vallodolid in Spain to get some experience under his belt..

Celtic then came calling and he became a key player before Benfica let him leave for good. His future is up in the air right now though with it yet to be known whether he will be sticking around with Al-Ittihad or moving on for a new start somewhere else.

“We are hopeful” – Club official on deal for Celtic player, ‘in discussion’ with Brendan Rodgers’ side

Gustaf Lagerbielke joined Celtic in August 2023, but he struggled for regular game time in his debut season. Brendan Rodgers handed him 576 minutes from 10 games, of which only two of them were from this year.

The centre-back’s contract lasts until 2028, but his future could be away from Celtic Park.

On Tuesday, Fussball Transfers reported Celtic will most likely let him leave this summer. It was also stated SC Heerenveen are very keen and are ahead of KV Mechelen in the transfer race.

The Eredivisie side’s interest in the 24-year-old is backed up by Leeuwarder Courant, relayed by Voetbal Primeur.

It’s claimed Heerenveen ‘are in discussion’ with Celtic to sign the defender on a loan deal. The report makes no mention whether they plan to include an option or obligation to buy.

The Dutch club’s manager, Robin van Persie, currently lacks sufficient options in the heart of the defence. The Celtic player is the ‘desirable’ target for them to bolster the back line.

Heerenveen general manager Ferry de Haan remains hopeful of signing the Sweden international before the window closes.

“It is not a fait accompli yet, but we are hopeful that it will work out,” he told Leeuwarder Courant

“With Pawel Bochniewicz and Sam Kersten, we now have two central defenders. Mateja Milovanovic is still behind that but needs some time. We want to have a good line-up at the back.”

£4.3M Celtic star in transfer exit frame as frustrating spell could end amid Rodgers’ new additions hunt

The defender has had a tough time | SNS Group

He joined Celtic in the last summer transfer window.

Celtic defender Maik Nawrocki is one star who could take their leave from the club by the end of this transfer window.

Having arrived from Poland and Legia Warsaw last summer in a deal believed to be in the region of £4.3m on a five-year deal, Nawrocki’s first year has been a struggle. While some of his performances have impressed, injuries have plagued him and again they struck in a pre-season match with Ayr United earlier this summer.

He has played just 13 times for Brendan Rodgers’ side since his move to Glasgow, with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales the bona fide choices in central defence. Fellow defenders Gustaf Lagerbielke, Stephen Welsh and Yuki Kobayashi have also been linked with exits.

Now Nawrocki’s name is next to be thrown back into the rumour mill, with the Scottish Sun reporting “Maik Nawrocki could also move on.” Boss Brendan Rodgers wants to add more to his squad this summer and the report states he is eyeing “a new central defender and left-back.”

Talk has turned frenzied over star asset Matt O’Riley, who is believed to be in Brighton sights over a blockbuster move to the Premier League. The Seagulls are claimed to stand ready for shattering the Scottish transfer record held by Kieran Tierney’s move from Celtic to Arsenal at £25m in 2019 in order to land O’Riley.

So far, Rodgers has added Viljami SInisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah to his squad. They return to Premiership action this weekend away at St Mirren.

Leicester City transfer news: Foxes ‘monitoring’ Celtic midfielder

Leicester City are reportedly interested in signing Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate this summer.

The 26-year-old has been a key part of the Hoops squad over recent years that has managed to win three straight Scottish Premiership titles.

The latest of those successes arrived during the 2023-24 term under the leadership of Brendan Rodgers, who is a massive admirer of Hatate in the engine room.

The Japan international started 12 matches in the league for Celtic last campaign, scoring three goals and providing four assists as his side pipped Rangers to the Scottish crown.

Since making the switch from J1 League outfit Kawasaki Frontale during the January window of 2022, Hatate has featured on 92 occasions for the Bhoys, finding the net 17 times.

Leicester ‘monitoring’ Celtic star Hatate

According to football editor Chris Wheatley, Hatate’s two-year stay at Parkhead could be coming to an end before the conclusion of the summer transfer window.

The report states that the 26-year-old is attracting interest from top-flight newcomers Leicester, who are looking to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

It is understood that Hatate is keen on a move to the Premier League this summer as he looks to prove himself at the highest level of football possible.

As well as Steve Cooper‘s Foxes, it is believed that the nine-time international has potential suitors in Italy and Spain, although the clubs in question are currently unknown.

Hatate has been the subject of concrete interest already this summer, with title-winning Celtic rejecting an offer for the midfielder from Russian side Zenit St Petersburg.

Where would Hatate fit at Leicester?

Following the £30m move of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea at the beginning of July, a large chunk of Leicester’s transfer business has been centred around bulking up their midfield.

Leaving North London permanently for the first time in his football career, Oliver Skipp has switched from Tottenham Hotspur to the King Power Stadium for £20m.

Representing a more attacking option in the engine room, Facundo Buonanotte has joined Leicester on loan for the season from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Hatate would offer a rounded presence in the midfield for the Foxes, with the Celtic man possessing the ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

Reading FC eyeing loan move for Celtic player

Reading are interested in a potential loan deal for Celtic left-back Matthew Anderson.

This is according to Football Scotland, who believe the defender is available to be taken on a temporary spell for the 2024/25 campaign, as he looks to get more first-team football under his belt.

The Royals are in desperate need of addressing several positions during the summer transfer window, having failed to make a single signing during this window so far.

This is due to their ownership situation, but with a takeover potentially on the horizon at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, they could have the opportunity to strengthen the positions that they need to.

The left-back department needs looking at, as well as the centre-back area, with the departures of Nelson Abbey, Tom Holmes, Tom McIntyre and Zane Monlouis this calendar year leaving them with fewer options in this area.

They may also be keen to bring in another attacking midfield option to compete for a spot in that area, with Harvey Knibbs currently out of action.

However, their wing and striker areas may be higher up on Ruben Selles’ side’s list of priorities for the remainder of the window, with the Berkshire side in need of more quality in the final third.

But by the time a takeover is potentially announced, even if it happens to be today, the club will only have a very limited amount of time to get deals over the line with the transfer window closing on August 30th.

Another factor that will make things for the Royals is the transfer embargo, which restricts them to pursuing free agents and loanees.

Many of their free agent targets are likely to have been snapped up by now – but they could potentially benefit from adding more quality to their squad via the loan market.

Reading FC interested in Matthew Anderson

Despite securing four points from six against Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic this term, the Royals are clearly in need of more depth.

Football Scotland have reported that the Bhoys’ young defender Anderson is on Selles’ side’s radar at this stage.

Anderson is a 20-year-old left-back who is yet to make his debut for his side’s senior team, but has played for their B side and spent last season on loan at Admira Wacker, who compete in the second tier of Austrian football.

Matthew Anderson’s 2023/24 loan spell at Admira Wacker

(All competitions)

Appearances

22

Goals

1

Assists

6

The Royals are currently lacking left-back options, with 16-year-old Andre Garcia currently Jeriel Dorsett’s backup option.

Garcia isn’t a natural left-back and neither is Dorsett, but the latter has been exceptional during the early stages of the campaign following his recovery from an injury.

Matthew Anderson could be a good option for Reading FC

Dorsett (pictured above) has been an excellent option for the Royals in the past 12 months or so.

Managing to adapt to the left-back spot well, he has become better and better in this area.

Also an academy graduate, the fans have really warmed to him and although he isn’t always mentioned, supporters clearly appreciate him at the SCL Stadium.

Garcia, meanwhile, may have done well during the early stages of the season, but another left-back is probably needed before the window closes.

Anderson, who can clearly offer plenty going forward, could be a shrewd addition in Berkshire if he comes in.

But a takeover needs to be done first.

Atletics Man City eyeing outstanding celtic star player…

Manchester City want to sign Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi as a replacement for Julian Alvarez, according to The Athletic.

The Premier League champions have only signed winger Savio so far this summer to bolster their squad, but sold World Cup winner Alvarez to Atletico Madrid in a club-record deal earlier this month worth €95million including add-ons.

Pep Guardiola now wants to replace him to ease the burden on Erling Haaland in attack, and Hoops star Kyogo has emerged as a shock target for the Cityzens ahead of the deadline next week.

Man City Want to Sign Kyogo

City focusing on Gundogan return first

The Japan international has been a mainstay in the Celtic side since he was signed by Ange Postecoglou and has been the top scorer in two of his three full seasons with the club, scoring 73 goals in 135 appearances.

According to journalist Sam Lee, City are considering making a move for the 29 year-old as cover for Haaland but are first focusing on a deal to bring Ilkay Gundogan back to the Etihad Stadium.

The German left the club for Barcelona on a free transfer last summer but has been told by the Catalan club he is free to leave this summer and a return to the blue half of Manchester seems to be edging closer.

Kyogo Furuhashi Scottish Premiership Career Stats

Games

80 (16)

Goals

53

Assists

8

Kyogo Furuhashi is open to the move to the Premier League and there is a belief that personal terms will not be a problem, but City are also eyeing another forward who is younger as a potential option and a deal hasn’t been made yet.

The player has caught the eye of City chiefs and the belief is that he will be willing to come in as a squad player to offer back-up to Norwegian star Haaland, but is also capable of filling a hole in the squad with his quality.

GIVEMESPORT key statistic: Only Lawrence Shankland has scored more Scottish Premiership goals than Kyogo Furuhashi since he joined Celtic in 2021.

Gundogan Set to Return to the Etihad

German will leave Barcelona after just one season

City are closing in on the return of Ilkay Gundogan after just one year to bolster their midfield, after he was told he could leave Barcelona for free just one year after joining.

The Germany international scored twice in the FA Cup final win over Manchester United as he helped the team lift the treble, before leaving when his contract expired for the Camp Nou.

But after the Catalan club signed Dani Olmo this summer, they need to balance their books and Gundogan’s €15million per-year wages are something they want to get off the books. He has been told he can leave without a transfer fee, and Pep Guardiola has told the City board to bring him back.

Gundogan is expected to sign a two-year deal to return, and will compete for a spot in the midfield this season.

Celtic are searching for a left-back this window as Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his ranks before the transfer deadline.

Greg Taylor remains the only senior option on that side of the defence and is now entering the final year of his deal. Both parties have yet to agree on an extension.

Yesterday, we reported that Celtic are prepared to send Matthew Anderson on loan despite his impressive pre-season performances.

Reading are willing to acquire the Scotland Under-21 international for the remainder of the season. With the left-back situation starting to take shape, the Bhoys remain interested in adding to the area.

According to reports, Celtic have enquired about Ajax’s Owen Wijndal. The Eredivisie giants are open to offers for the Netherlands international, who spent last season on loan at Royal Antwerp.

Liverpool’s Owen Beck still remains of interest. The Reds are open to either a permanent deal or a loan switch for the Welshman amid his contract having two years to run at Anfield [Transfermarkt]. New information has come to light regarding his current predicament.

Celtic target Owen Beck sees options narrow

Reports last week suggested that Leeds United and Middlesbrough were providing competition to Celtic for Beck, but it appears one of them has now decided to take a different direction.

According to Teesside Live, the former Dundee loanee isn’t on Michael Carrick’s radar this summer, with work going on behind the scenes at the Riverside Stadium to sign an alternative unnamed left-back target.

In a way, this could narrow the list of competitors Celtic have in the race to sign the AXA Training Centre product. Nevertheless, Queens Park Rangers and other EFL clubs have also been in pursuit of the Anfield talent.

Realistically, this could be one that goes to the wire. The transfer deadline is next Friday, and you would imagine the Liverpool fringe man will take time to mull over his options.

Crucially, there has been no news to suggest Celtic are no longer looking to strike. The Bhoys are in desperate need of depth at left-back, and Beck may be their best bet at this stage in the window.

Manchester City want Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi…

Beck path clears, Lagerbielke silence broken and ‘excellent’ £4.7m deal green lit – Celtic transfer state of play

Brendan Rodgers is set for a busy end to the summer window

Celtic have seen the race to land Liverpool’s Owen Beck narrow with one suitor reportedly dropping out of the race.

The Scottish Premiership champions have been locked in talks over signing the Welsh international that they first tried to land in January following an impressive six-month stint at Dundee – and since then he has remained his on Brendan Rodgers’ wish list for the left-back’s to provide a challenge for Greg Taylor. Liverpool are understood to be willing to sell the 22-year-old as with Beck in the final 12 months of his contract.

The Hoops, Leeds United and QPR have been touted as potential destinations – but Middlesbrough are said to have given up on brining Beck to the Riverside this summer. Teeside Live report that Michael Carrick’s side will “not offer competition” to the list of suitors. While left-back is a key position that Celtic want to strengthen in, a new central midfielder could quickly move up the agenda.

Matt O’Riley is inching closer to a big-money switch to Brighton – and that could clear the path for Tanner Tessmann to arrive at Celtic Park. The 22-year-old was a standout for the club last season in Serie B for Venezia last season – and has already seen moves to Inter and Fiorentina collapse this summer. The latest saw a £4.7m move to Florence fall apart over a disagreement with the player’s agents.

But after being frozen out by the club, the Venezia head coach Eusebio di Fransesco has admitted an exit has already been green lit by the club – should the right offer come in. He told Tuttomercatoweb: “I’ll let the club talk about him.

“Then, if you ask me what I think of him as a player, then I can tell you that he’s an excellent player. At the moment, he’s not part of the project. It’s a discussion to be discussed with the club in which the coach can have a say up to a certain point.”

In terms of outgoings, Gustaf Lagerbielke‘s Celtic transfer exit to SC Heerenveen is “not a done deal yet” according to chief executive Ferry de Haan. With KV Mechelen also chasing a deal for the out of favour Swede, he told Leeuwarder Courant: “It is not a done deal yet, but we are hopeful that it will work out.

“With Pawel Bochniewicz and Sam Kersten, we now have two central defenders. Mateja Milovanovic is still behind them but needs some time. We want to have a good line-up in the centre of defence.”

Rodgers could brilliantly replace Oh with Celtic move for “improving” star

Celtic have enjoyed a strong start to the 2024/25 campaign with three wins in three matches in all competitions, the latest of which was a 3-1 win over Hibernian in the League Cup.

The Hoops were knocked out of the competition at that stage last season but goals from Daizen Maeda (two) and Nicolas Kuhn secured the win for Brendan Rodgers.

Two wins in two games in the Scottish Premiership so far also has the reigning champions top of the table in the early stages, despite the lack of transfer activity from the Bhoys.

Rodgers has only added four players to his squad – Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo, and Adam Idah – and two of those were on loan at Parkhead last term.

Idah is the most recent addition to the playing squad after his £9.5m move from Norwich City was confirmed last week, with an £8.5m rising to £9.5m deal agreed for his services.

The Ireland international spent the second half of last season on loan in Glasgow, though, and Hyeon-gyu Oh – who was part of the squad at the same time – has since moved on.

Celtic’s Hyeon-gyu Oh masterclass

In January of 2023, Ange Postecoglou swooped to sign the South Korea international from Suwon Bluewings for a reported fee of £2.5m to bolster his attacking options, as Giorgos Giakoumakis was set to move to the MLS with Atlanta United.

The young marksman enjoyed a decent first five months in Scottish football with a return of six goals in 16 Premiership appearances during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

After that promising start to life in Glasgow, the hope should have been for Oh to kick on and become a reliable performer for the Hoops in his first full season with the club.

However, the 23-year-old struggled to step up under Rodgers, who replaced Postecoglou last summer, and did not improve on his six-goal return from the previous campaign.

Instead, the Northern Irish boss opted to bring Idah in during the winter window and that left Oh as the third-choice behind the Irishman and Kyogo Furuhashi in the pecking order.

23/24 Premiership

Hyeon-gyu Oh

Appearances

20

Goals

5

Big chances missed

5

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes per game

0.3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed attacker was handed 20 appearances in the division to stake a claim for his place and found the back of the net five times, but failed to provide much in the way of creativity for his teammates.

Despite his struggles on the pitch for the Scottish giants, Celtic played a masterclass with Oh as they managed to sell him on for a decent profit this summer.

Belgian side Genk swooped in to sign the 23-year-old striker for a reported fee of £4.5m – £2m more than the Hoops paid Suwon Bluewings for his services 18 months prior.

Celtic could now brilliantly replace Oh as a third-choice centre-forward by signing a player they are reportedly considering a move for this month.

Celtic interested in free agent marksman

According to Football Scotland, the Premiership champions are one of a number of clubs keeping an eye on free agent centre-forward Aaron Connolly.

The Ireland international is currently without a club, having left Hull City at the end of last season, and this means that they would not have to pay a penny in transfer fees to snap him up.

Football Scotland claims that the Bhoys are monitoring his situation and considering whether or not to make a move for the former Brighton & Hove Albion attacker.

Connolly, who was hailed as “improving” by journalist Josh Bunting last season, had attracted interest from the MLS but their transfer window has now closed.

The report does not reveal who else is interested in signing the 24-year-old striker, though, and so it remains to be seen how difficult it will be to complete a deal for him.

However, Rodgers must now push to land the talented attacker on a bargain free transfer before the end of the window in order to brilliantly replace Oh as the third-choice striker at Parkhead.

Why Celtic should sign Aaron Connolly

Firstly, it would be a bargain move for the Scottish giants because he is a free agent. The club raked in £4.5m for Oh and could potentially replace him with a better player who is also only one year older than the South Korean gem, at 24.

Another thing that Connolly immediately has over the Genk striker is that he is a versatile forward who can play in a multitude of roles for Rodgers.

He has played on both flanks, as a second striker, and as an attacking midfielder in his career, which means that the manager could select him on the flank either side of Idah or Kyogo, or in the number ten position behind them.

So, while he may come in as a third-choice striker on paper that does not mean that his minutes will be heavily restricted, as the 24-year-old star can play in several positions.

His form for Hull City in the 2023/24 campaign also suggests that Connolly does not need to start games on a regular basis to make an impact.

23/24 Championship

Aaron Connolly

Appearances

28

Starts

13

Goals

8

xG

6.62

Conversion rate

20%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland international struck eight times in the Championship despite only starting 13 of his 28 appearances.

This suggests that he is comfortable with a back-up role and has the right mentality to affect matches from the bench, which would make him an ideal signing for Celtic as a rotation option.

The Irish striker, who scored 31 goals in 42 matches for Brighton at U23 level earlier in his career, showcased his clinical nature in front of goal with eight goals from 6.62 xG.

Record fee likely as Celtic consider life without O’Riley

O’Riley is not only a creator but a scorer of goals for Celtic

Speculation about Matt O’Riley’s future has been a daily constant in Scotland’s media all summer after the midfielder helped Celtic to the league title and Scottish Cup Double.

Since Atletico Madrid had an approach rejected in January, it has seemed like only a matter of time before somebody matched Celtic’s valuation for the elegantly influential 23-year-old.

This summer, it has been Atalanta and, most recently, Brighton & Hove Albion, who have been most strongly linked with the London-born Denmark international.

So what has brought him to the brink of a move to the Premier League and how might his departure affect Celtic and any future employer?

Who is Matt O’Riley?

O’Riley (left) last played in English football with MK Dons

A native of Hounslow, O’Riley joined Fulham’s academy at the age of eight, graduating to a first-team debut as a 16-year-old in an EFL Cup win away to Wycombe Wanderers.

However, having made just five appearances, and only one in the league as a substitute, in the three years thereafter, the England youth international rejected the offer of a new contract and joined MK Dons in League One.

With 10 goals in 54 appearances, nearly all of them starts, O’Riley had already shown his goal threat from midfield.

Those performances persuaded Celtic to shell out a reported £1.5m in January 2022 to match his release clause.

Eligible to represent Denmark and Norway via his mother’s side of the family, it only took three months starring in the Premiership for O’Riley to be called up to Denmark Under-21s.

Four years on and he has accumulated three league winners’ medals, two for the Scottish Cup and one for the League Cup as well as vital experience on the European club stage.

What would O’Riley exit mean for Celtic?

O’Riley has formed a great partnership with Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate

O’Riley’s statistics are hugely impressive.

Since arriving at Celtic, he has provided more assists than anyone in the Scottish Premiership, his 29 being six more than Rangers captain James Tavernier.

O’Riley ranks third when combining goals and assists, his 54 involvements only two behind Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland and seven adrift of Tavernier, king of Rangers penalties.

O’Riley (217) is second only to Tavernier (275) and well ahead of the next best, Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong (173) in terms of chances created – and only 10 behind the Rangers man when you only count those from open play.

As for touches in the box, O’Riley outshines any Premiership player, his 555 being more than Shankland’s 498 and well ahead of team-mate Daizen Maeda and Bojan Miovski, the striker sold this month by Aberdeen to Girona.

O’Riley is also fourth best for successful crosses behind Tavernier, Armstrong and former Rangers left-back Borna Barisic – and his 25 goals over the last two years is only bettered by four strikers and that man Tavernier.

Those steadily improving numbers mean O’Riley has possibly now overtaken captain Callum McGregor and Japan’s Reo Hatate in terms of importance to Celtic.

The trio have been central to a scintillating start to this season for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Acknowledging their role last week, the manager said: “In my history as a coach, the dynamic midfield three is always important.

“It’s never about one player, it’s always about the three. And I think that it was probably only into the latter stages of last season that those three came together.

“And I think you’ve seen the flow and the dynamism and how it all makes the team function.”

Rodgers has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to lose O’Riley, while praising the player’s “phenomenal mentality” in blocking out the speculation.

Seeking to bolster his squad ahead of the Champions League, Rodgers is not reliant on funds from any sale of O’Riley.

“I still think we need another player in that position,” he said. “If he was to go, we’d need two more.”

Rodgers has said he doubts whether he could “replace like-for-like” and Celtic would not pay such “big money” on one player.

It looks increasingly likely that it will take an offer north of the club’s £25m record sales for both Kieran Tierney and Jota to prise O’Riley away.

What would O’Riley arrival mean for Brighton?

O’Riley will hope a move will bring more Denmark caps

O’Riley will have been disappointed to have missed out on the Denmark squad for this summer’s Euro 2024 finals.

After handing him a start in their 2-0 qualifying defeat by Northern Ireland in Belfast, then head coach Kasper Hjulmand explained in March that he thought O’Riley had six better midfielders ahead of him.

O’Riley will perhaps think he has a better chance of adding to his two caps now that former Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst has been appointed caretaker boss, but playing regularly in one of the top leagues would no doubt help his cause.

Europa League winners Atalanta had appeared to be favourites for his signature, but after reportedly failing with a series of bids, the Serie A club on Sunday signed Serbia international Lazar Samardzic from Udinese.

Unlike the Italians – and Celtic – Brighton cannot offer European football this season, but they have been investing heavily this summer under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Pascal Gross has joined Borussia Dortmund, Adam Lallana moved to Southampton and fellow veteran James Milner started their season opener against Everton.

Despite an impressive 3-0 away win, the 31-year-old Hurzeler, who led St Pauli to promotion to the Budesliga before becoming the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history, may want more youthful legs in that central area of the park.

He has already signed defensive midfielder Mats Wieffer from Feyenoord. O’Riley, his languid running style being somewhat deceiving given his qualities as a constantly involved, pivotal all-rounder, could be next on the agenda.

With fans’ favourite Billy Gilmour only given eight minutes as a late replacement for Milner, O’Riley’s arrival could mean an exit for the 23-year-old Scotland midfielder, who is reportedly on Napoli’s wanted list.

Deal Done In 24-48 Hours If Celtic Say Yes To Offer For Bhoys Star

Celtic could see one a deal done for one of their players within 24 to 48 hours if there is an agreement on the offer on the table, according to BBC Scotland.

Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers is dealing with a range of transfer issues as he looks to strengthen but also to handle interest in his players.

Celtic have been clear that they will only sell their key men on their terms and clubs have had to play ball or walk away.

The Celtic Park side are coming under big pressure for Matt O’Riley and having rejected a host of bids from Atalanta, are now being tested by Brighton.

Brighton have put an offer of £26m on the table for O’Riley and are waiting to see if Celtic will take it.

If the Bhoys do agree that £26m is enough then it is suggested the deal could be done within the next 24 to 48 hours.

O’Riley could join Brighton quickly if the fee makes sense for Celtic.

A quick resolution is likely to suit Rodgers as he looks to make signings of his own before the transfer window slams shut until January.

The Scottish giants will have to decide though if £26m is enough for O’Riley.

The signing of Kasper Schmeichel put an end to Celtic’s search for the replacement of Joe Hart in this summer’s transfer window.

The big Dane was tied up to a one-year deal with an option to extend it by further twelve months and already he looks like a shrewd piece of business by Brendan Rodgers.

Schmeichel looked solid on the US Tour in the wins against DC United, Manchester City and Chelsea and the Celtic fans believe they already have a new hero between the sticks.

And even though he has played just three domestic games for Celtic, Cameron Carter-Vickers has shared how the Danish international already looks like an ‘unbelievable’ player.

Schmeichel is already looking ‘really good’ for Celtic

The US defender admits that he is enjoying lining up alongside his Celtic teammate and Carter-Vickers has been really impressed with Schmeichel so far.

Carter-Vickers told the Daily Record, “Kasper’s been really good. I think from the minute he came in, you saw his quality.

“I think it’s clear to see that on the ball, he can play with the ball at his feet.

“He probably hasn’t had to make many big saves yet in the league or the Cup game, but I think you saw in pre-season that some of the saves he made were unbelievable, so I’m definitely enjoying playing with him and looking forward to keeping playing with him.”

The 37-year-old keeper looks really calm and assured and a big presence in the centre of the Celtic goal.

Although he did concede against Hibs in the League Cup win, Schmeichel is yet to be properly tested.

That test, however, is coming up at the end of August when Rangers come to visit Celtic Park and if Schmeichel can keep a clean sheet and help Brendan Rodgers collect all three points, he will be go even further up in the Celtic supporters’ estimations this season.

Celtic transfer chances of signing £4.2m star rated as Rangers link to €5m striker set for conclusion

Rangers manager Philippe Clement and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers | Getty Images

Latest Celtic and Rangers transfer news and rumours from this weekend

Celtic are hoping to win the title once again this season.

The Hoops are also eyeing some success in Europe under Brendan Rodgers alongside trophies on the home front. As for Rangers, they want to pip their rivals to top spot and will also be keen for silverware in the domestic cups. Here is a look at some of the latest news and rumours regarding the pair…

Celtic eye target

According to Fussball Transfers, Celtic are showing ‘interest’ in signing Lausanne-Sport winger Alvyn Sanches. The 21-year-old, who is a Switzerland youth international, could be seen by the Hoops as someone to bolster their attacking department.

The France-born man started his career at Lausanne Benfica before joining his current club in 2012. He has since risen up through their academy ranks and was a regular at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team.

Sanches has made 88 appearances in all competitions to date and has chipped in with 14 goals and seven assists. His contract expires in June 2026 so Lausanne-Sport are under no pressure to cash in on him in this window and can wait for the right offer to come in for his signature.

Celtic chances of signing him are rated as ‘not bad’ with a transfer fee at around £4.2m required if they do want to make him part of their squad.

Rangers striker target set to secure move

Rangers-linked Albion Rrahmani is set to join Sparta Prague from Rapid Bucharest. The Ibrox club will have to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements between now and the end of the window if they are still keen to bolster this area of the park.

Rrahmani was reportedly targeted as someone to boost Philippe Clement’s options at the top end of the pitch. However, he appears to have now decided to move to the Czech Republic for a new chapter in his career.

The Kosovo international joined Rapid last year and has since been their key man up top. He fired 18 league goals in 28 matches. Rangers have until the deadline later this month to bring in more players to strengthen their squad.

Millwall seal transfer agreement with Celtic for talented midfielstar

Millwall had already agreed to sign Celtic midfielder January in January, but the Lions and the Scottish champions have thrashed out a deal which will see the teenager move now

Daniel Kelly is set to complete a move to Millwall in the coming days

Millwall are poised to wrap up a deal for Celtic wonderkid Daniel Kelly in the coming days.

The talented midfielder, 18, had agreed terms on a pre-contract agreement to join the Lions on January 1 following the conclusion of his Celtic deal.

But Millwall and the Scottish giants have since agreed terms on a deal which will see Kelly make the move to South London now rather than in five months time.

Kelly, a Scotland Under-19 international, is highly-rated at Celtic and the Scottish champions had hoped to keep hold of him. But the talented teenager rejected a contract offer from his boyhood club, who will now bank a six-figure sum from the Lions.

He was subsequently frozen out of the first-team by head coach Brendan Rodgers and has been playing in the Lowland League with Celtic B, where he’s registered three goal contributions in four games this term.

Kelly, who is set to undergo a medical at The Den early this week, would become the Lions’ fifth summer capture.

Head coach Neil Harris wants more through the door ahead of next weekend’s Championship fixture against Hull City and the Londoners are aiming to add another forward and a winger to their ranks.

Kelly is leaving Celtic after rejecting a contract offer

Harris confirmed that a deal had been done for Kelly earlier this week and described the pacey youngster as an “old-fashioned No.8” with the potential to become a big player.

Harris told The South London Press on Tuesday: “Dan has agreed to join the club. A deal has been agreed and he has signed. He officially joins us in January.

“He is a young player that we think has got huge potential. He is a very good player. When Dan first walks into the building he is not going to be someone that everyone should expect to go straight into the team.

“He is very young but everyone should take heart that they’ve seen Alfie Massey make his debut tonight and it was an outstanding performance. Dan is a box-to-box midfielder, probably an old-fashioned eight, who has great energy. I’d liken him to a young George Saville when he first came into the football club – breaks into the box and scores goals.

“He has got passion and real aggression to his play.”

Matt O’Riley transfer latest as Brendan Rodgers insists star is “really happy”

Brendan Rodgers has said that Matt O’Riley is “really happy” at Celtic and is in no rush to leave the club. The midfielder put in another strong showing as the Celts beat Hibs 3-1 at Paradise to seal their place in the League Cup Quarter Finals.

After the game, Rodgers told Sun Sport that the 23-year-old that he didn’t know if O’Riley would remain at the club beyond the summer but that the player is enjoying being at the club.

“I don’t know is the honest answer. You see with him that he is an incredibly talented player.

“There is a value we have for him, and if that’s not met he will be here – it’s as simple as that.

“He is really happy here, but it has to be something that draws him away.

“I am not overthinking it. We all know the model here at Celtic – players will improve and they will get to a level that get beyond, not the club, but in terms of the financial salary. But until that comes we continue to work with him.”

It appeared that Serie A side Atalanta would be favourites to sign the Denmark Internationalist given that they have the Champions League to offer players, as well as paying big wages.

Atalanta have swooped to sign Lazar Samardzic from Udinese, who is seen as the Tenu Koopmeiners replacement. Reports from Italy suggest that Atalanta have admitted their defeat in the hunt for O’Riley, which opened the door to sign Samardzic.

Atalanta make Cameron Carter-Vickers transfer enquiry

Atalanta have made an enquiry about Cameron Carter-Vickers, a top US source has revealed. The central defender started in Celtic’s 3-1 win over Hibs and is comfortably Celtic’s best central defender.

Larry Henry Jr, who covered Celtic’s Tour of the USA for The Celtic Star, revealed on Twitter/X that an approach was made but no further action followed.

Serie A side Atalanta have inquired about #USMNT and #CelticFC defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, but nothing more than that, source close to the player confirmed.

Besiktas also remains interested. Former U.S. keeper Brad Friedel now part of Board of Directors in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/1vM3tuWojX

— Larry Henry Jr (@lhenry019) August 18, 2024

Atalanta have been sniffing around Celtic this summer, mainly relating to Matt O’Riley but their efforts to sign the Dane have been rebuffed by the club. However, it’s unsurprising that they were impressed by the USA Internationalist.

CCV has been a rock since joining from Tottenham Hotspur, initially on a season-long loan deal. The defender then signed a permanent deal in 2022 before agreeing a new contract back in January, which will take him to the summer of 2029.

Celtic are looking for a partner for the 26-year-old and will not entertain selling the player, who is a key member of the first team picture.

Celtic midfielder, Daniel Kelly, is set to leave the club this week after a fee was agreed with Millwall today.

We discussed this week how the 18-year-old had already signed a pre-contract agreement with the English Championship club after talks to sign a contract extension with Celtic failed.

Celtic had reportedly offered to pay young Kelly £5,000 per week to extend his stay at Celtic Park but the Scotland U19 international refused to sign the deal.

Brendan Rodgers took a hardline stance with the academy graduate and didn’t involve Kelly in any of Celtic’s pre-season preparations this summer.

And now, according to Lanarkshire Live Sport, Kelly is now set to move to the London-based club after Millwall agreed a fee with Celtic.

Celtic set to bank six-figure sum for Daniel Kelly

The report says Celtic are set to bank an initial £400,000 for Kelly with add-ons and that the young Scot is set to hold a medical with Millwall in the next 24/48 hours.

The youngster is in London now and the report also says that Millwall are hoping to have him in early so he can be involved in Millwall’s upcoming English Championship clash with Hull City next Saturday.

The move will end a summer-long series of headlines and speculation regarding the young midfielder and now Kelly can close his Celtic chapter to continue his story down south.

Although it is disappointing to lose a player of his calibre and potential, hopefully, Celtic have managed to negotiate a sell-on clause for Kelly as he does have a bright future ahead of him and was highly rated at Lennoxtown.

Kelly’s transfer will be Celtic’s ninth permanent departure of the summer window after Brendan Rodgers allowed the likes of Bosun Lawal, Sead Haksabanovic and Hyeongyu Oh to leave the club in order to further their careers.

Norwich City: Johannes Hoff Thorup on strker transfer quest

Johannes Hoff Thorup is confident Norwich City will get the right striker in the building (Image: Andy Sumner/Focus Images Ltd)

Norwich City will step up attempts to sign Adam Idah’s replacement ahead of Sheffield United’s Championship visit.

City remain active in the closing two weeks of the transfer market, with a striker top of the list after opting not to sign Turkish forward Bertug Yildirim in the wake of Idah’s Celtic exit last week.

“I don’t think we are there yet, but we are working on some different options for us,” said Thorup, speaking after Saturday’s 2-2 league draw against Blackburn. “So again, I hope it can be before the next game (Sheffield United). You never know.

“In football, it takes more than just one or two parts to agree when it’s a transfer deal. We have to wait and see, but I’m positive that we can bring quality into the group.”

Josh Sargent underlined his value to the cause with a goal and an assist against Rovers, but Sargent is the only fit senior central striker on the books, with Ashley Barnes on the fitness comeback trail, and youngster Ken Aboh poised for a Football League loan.

Thorup insisted prior to the weekend’s draw he is keen to take his time get the best fit for his attacking unit.

“What we discuss at the moment is the type of striker we want,” he said. “Should we go for a striker who would be a like-for-like replacement for Adam? Or should we go for another type of striker?

“Because we have Josh in the building, and he’s the physical, strong number nine, do we want a player who maybe also could cover other positions, where for Josh, and Adam, it was not really natural for them to be on the left or the right hand side?

“There’s actually more options to this. The most important thing for us is that we find the best possible fit for the group. Of course, a player who should be technically strong and needs to have that intensity in his game where he can press and he can run, but there’s many options.

“I know when the window is open everyone can be a little bit impatient and say, ‘Okay, let’s get him in. Let’s get him in’. But end of the day, when we are in October or November, no one will remember this one week or the next two weeks, but everyone will remember if it’s a good or bad choice. So that’s the most important for us.

“We cannot bring in players where they’re not used to being calm on the ball, comfortable on the ball. We’re not going to bring in players that don’t have the intensity to play the game that we want to play.

“To be fair, we have a very strong recruitment department that can find good players with the hunger to come to this club and perform for this club, because this is the best possible step for them in their career.

“There’s a lot of things that go into it, technical, tactical, the personality, where they are in their career, so many things going on. It’s not easy, and it’s not something you just do overnight.”

Celtic midfielder Daniel Kelly to seal Millwall move this week as fee agreed for early release

The 18-year-old had signed a pre-contract but is now set to join the London club ahead of schedule

Daniel Kelly

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Daniel Kelly is set to secure his exit from Celtic in the coming hours after the Hoops accepted an offer from Millwall worth close to £400,000 plus add-ons for his early release.

The 18-year-old penned a pre-contract with the Lions earlier this week ahead of a January move to the English Championship side, and he was set to play out the rest of his contract in the Lowland League with Celtic B.

But Lanarkshire Live Sport – who exclusively revealed Kelly’s move south – understands Kelly is in London and he will likely undergo a medical in the next 24/48 hours.

Millwall are hoping he can be involved in their Championship clash away to Hull City on Saturday.

It has been a frustrating summer for the boyhood Hoops fan after he turned down a new four-year deal with the Scottish champions, understood to be worth £5,000 a week, and he was frozen out of the first team squad by Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers as a result.

An amicable exit now looks to have been sealed after Millwall expected the East Kilbride ace to join in January.

Rangers situation is worse than when they were liquidated as they are cursed by emotional bankruptcy – Hugh Keevins

Lions boss Neil Harris said on Tuesday: “Dan has agreed to join the club. A deal has been agreed and he has signed. He officially joins us in January.

“He is a young player that we think has got huge potential. He is a very good player. When Dan first walks into the building he is not going to be someone that everyone should expect to go straight into the team.

“He is very young but everyone should take heart that they’ve seen Alfie Massey make his debut tonight and it was an outstanding performance. Dan is a box-to-box midfielder, probably an old-fashioned eight, who has great energy. I’d liken him to a young George Saville when he first came into the football club – breaks into the box and scores goals.

“He has got passion and real aggression to his play.”

BREAKING NEWS: O’Riley price skyrockets, Wijndal door open and Sanches pitch – Celtic transfer state of play

It looks set to be busy couple of weeks for Brendan Rodgers in the summer market

Celtic have reportedly told Atalanta that their asking price for Matt O’Riley has been raised.

The Europa League winners have been focussed on the Danish international throughout the summer window with a series of bids being kicked out by tge Scottish Premiership champions. The Serie A side are not the only side looking to snap up the 23-year-old with Brighton and Bournemouth among the English Premier League sides showing interest -while Atletico Madrid and Inter are among the long-term admirers.

Boss Brendan Rodgers has insisted that Celtic are under no pressure to sell – and a clear message has now been sent according to Gazetta dello Sport . It is claimed that the Hoops have told the Italian side that they are now demanding €30million (£25million) plus €5million (£4million) in bonuses with the latest offer from Atalanta offering a €27million (£23million) package for the midfielder.

It is noted that Celtic would “not mind” keeping O’Riley for the season and the star is “tired of the push and pull” over the deal. The report also notes that Atalanta are now looking at alternatives to replace Juventus-bound Teun Koopmeiners while still weighing up their next move in the O’Riley saga.

Elsewhere, Alvyn Sanches has been touted as a potential replacement for O’Riley should he leave this summer. Celtic would face competition from Nice, Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Burnley for the £4.3m rated 21-year-old from FC Lausanne-Sport.

And former Hoops’ star Ramon Vega reckons that the experience he picked up in the Swiss top flight makes him perfect for Parkhead. He told The Herald: “Alvyn Sanches is a good prospect, especially for a club like Celtic.

He is a great talent. I have read that Celtic are in the market for a Matt O’Riley replacement. To fill that void will be very difficult. If Celtic signed Sanches now then he could make them a lot of money in resell value in two to three years.”

Elsewhere, Celtic are reportedly keen on a move for Ajax left back Owen Wijndal as they looking to provide competition for Greg Taylor. And the path was cleared for an exit from the Dutch giants earlier this week.

The 24-year-old was dropped to the B team by Francesco Farioli as he looks to clear the decks this summer. Pressed on if he wanted the defender to leave by podcast Tekengeld, the boss said: “The situation is pretty clear. It’s not just us who want to move on players in the market. It was a very difficult decision for me to put him back in the reserve team but the reality is that they are still Ajax players. We don’t know yet if they left at the end of the window or if they will stay with us.”

Atalanta On the Verge of Completing Major Midfield Signing

Atalanta started talks with Udinese for Lazar Samardzic only a few days ago, and it didn’t take them long to strike an agreement. According to Fabrizio Romano, a decisive breakthrough came on Saturday, with the Serbian midfielder on the verge of joining La Dea.

Gian Piero Gasperini has grown tired of waiting for Celtic to relax their stance on Matt O’Riley. Instead, Atalanta and Udinese opened negotiations for Samardzic’s switch to the Gewiss Stadium during the week and almost instantaneously found common ground, with the former agreeing to pay a fee ‘in excess of €20m plus add-ons’ to sign Samardzic.

Barring another last-minute drama, the 22-year-old could become the new Atalanta player by Monday. New Udinese boss Kosta Runjaic omitted Samardzic from his matchday squad for the opening Serie A round as the Friulians head to Renato Dall’Ara to take on Bologna on Sunday afternoon.

The ex-RB Leipzig man should undergo his Atalanta medical later in the day before penning a contract at the Gewiss Stadium. After his move to Inter collapsed at the 11th hour a year ago, Samardzic emerged as a potential candidate to reinforce Milan’s midfield this summer. However, Atalanta have hijacked Rossoneri’s attempt to land the Serbian.

Samardzic’s wasn’t Gasperini’s first option. Yet, Atalanta couldn’t convince Celtic to sell O’Riley despite lodging four offers for the highly-rated midfielder. Samardzic is a decent fallback option, especially as he boasts a wealth of Serie A experience after three years at Udinese.

Serie A side Atalanta have had a very public pursuit of Matt O’Riley over the last month or so, making as many as five offers for the Celtic player.

The Scottish champions have rejected every single one, setting the bar high on their valuation of O’Riley.

That stance appears to have paid off with reports from Italy indicating they have given up on the midfield star to sign Lazar Samardzic from Udinese.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Samardzic will undergo a medical this weekend before sealing a transfer move worth in excess of €20m.

Atalanta had already offered more than that for O’Riley but fell short of Celtic’s expectations, so have apparently turned their attention to a cheaper player in the same position.

Celtic hardline stance provides hope of an O’Riley stay

The Italians have been the most serious suitors for O’Riley’s signature this summer so if they have indeed pulled out it’s a big moment.

It will spark hope that Celtic supporters get to see O’Riley in green and white for another 12 months, which could be huge for the Bhoys’ trophy chase and European ambitions.

Brighton and other English teams are still lurking, however, so there’s still a chance of a late-August move for the Danish international.

However, even the Seagulls have made a move for attacking option Brahan Gruda in recent days, so the status of their O’Riley pursuit is up in the air, too.

We can’t say for certain we’ll hold on to the 23-year-old, but it certainly looks a little more promising than it did this time last month.

Report: Young midfielder rejects Spurs in favour of a move to another London club

Football Insider claim that Celtic starlet Daniel Kelly has rejected Tottenham’s advances and has decided to join Millwall instead ahead of the new season.

Tottenham have been busy in the transfer market

Spurs have secured a number of talented young players recently, with Lucas Bergvall, Yang Min-hyuk and Archie Gray arriving through the door at Hotspur Way.

According to Football Insider, the Lilywhites also tried to poach another talented young 18-year-old from Scotland but their efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Kelly, who enjoyed a breakout season at Celtic last term, making 28 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ men, was allegedly sought-after by both Spurs and German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Daniel Kelly chooses Millwall over Tottenham

However, the report says that the teenager has snubbed the Premier League side as well as the Bundesliga outfit, deciding to sign with Millwall instead.

The report explains that the central midfielder did this to ensure a quicker pathway to the first-team, with the Scotland Under-19 international hoping to make a mark in the Championship this season.

Kelly will link up with former Tottenham defender, Japhet Tanganga, this season after the centre-back left Spurs on a free to join Millwall.

Spurs Web Opinion

Postecoglou will have likely had some input on Tottenham’s pursuit of Kelly as the Australian would have been aware of the young midfielder from his time at Celtic.

Spurs will likely keep a close eye on the 18-year-old’s progress over the next 12 months ahead of a potential move next summer.

Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Celtic transfer news bulletin as Owen Beck high on wish list, 3 more positions targeted and Kuhn relishes Idah reunion

Owen Beck is still a live option while the Hoops have 3 other positions they want to strengthen

Owen Beck of Liverpool (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Celtic remain on the trail of Liverpool’s Owen Beck.

The Hoops have been in talks over signing the Welsh defender they tired to get on board in January. Beck, who impressed on loan at Dundee in the first half of last season, remains one of the main names on boss Brendan Rodgers’ wish list for the left-back slot. Liverpool could be willing to sell Beck if the price is right although a loan also remains an option for the Hoops. Rodgers is keen to provide a challenge to Greg Taylor at left-back and tried to land Beck in January. But his move was scuppered by then Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp.

The German gaffer recalled Beck from his loan at Dundee at the turn of the year when he faced a defensive injury crisis. Klopp then gave the 22-year-old his Liverpool debut, which meant he could not play for a third club in the season.

Beck, instead, returned to Dens Park but his second spell with Tony Docherty’s side was wrecked by injury. However, Celtic would face competition to land Beck from English Championship sides Middlesbrough and Leeds. Celtic have expressed an interest in Ajax defender Owen Wijndal, who is also a target for Werder Bremen

Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels is also on Celtic’s wanted list but it is more likely to happen if Matt O’Riley is sold. So far no one has come close to his valuation. A winger, left-sided centre half and another striker is also on Rodgers’ wanted list.

Meanwhile Nicolas Kuhn says Celtic want to make amends for their League Cup slip-up last season by lifting the trophy – along with the Treble. The German winger wasn’t at the club when Brendan Rodgers’ men crashed out at the hands of Kilmarnock a year ago.

After arriving in January, Kuhn played his part in the Double as the Hoops won the Premiership and Scottish Cup. But ahead of Sunday’s second-round clash with Hibs at home, the 24-year-old insists Celtic want all three pieces of silverware.

Kuhn said: “There is a lot of motivation within the squad to do well in every competition this season – starting with this one. That’s the target for us. We’re looking forward to going into this game with a lot of energy and hopefully getting a win.”

Celtic have been boosted by the return of Adam Idah, who signed on loan at the same time as Kuhn last season. The Irish striker is back on a permanent deal after a £9.5million move from Norwich City.

He’s set to start against Hibs, with Kyogo Furuhashi injured. Kuhn said: “I’m so happy to see Adam back because we had a good time together last season. We all hoped he would return and it’s great to see him make the move permanently. Adam offers a lot to us. He is a different type of striker and he scored so many big goals in important games for us.

“It’s always good to have more quality in the squad and he is also a big character in the changing room. Adam is fun to be around.”

Kuhn has started the domestic campaign superbly but admits he can’t wait for the Hoops’ Champions League bid to get underway next month. And the former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig wide man said: “There are a lot of great teams we could draw. I wish we could play them all. But it would be nice to maybe play against Leipzig or Bayern Munich, two of my former clubs.”

Hannibal transfer update as Celtic targets wants to leave Man Utd

Rumoured Celtic target Hannibal Mejbri has requested to LEAVE Manchester United, according to reports in Tunisia.

Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal controls the ball against Hannibal Mejbri of Manchester United during a pre-season friendly match at SoFi Stadium on July 27, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The midfielder hit out at his contracted club in an interview last week, demanding more game time and indicating that he would like to seek a move.

It now appears that the Red Devils are willing to let the midfielder leave, but only on a permanent deal, and with his transfer value sitting at around £7.5m, could the deal be off the cards for the Scottish champions?

Last season, he left for Sevilla on loan in January but his spell in La Liga didn’t go as planned. They had an option to buy the midfielder for £20m up front but declined to make an offer after the loanee reportedly got into a bust-up with one of his team-mates.

Since returning to Manchester, he has still been searching for a move. With him failing to make the United squad against Fulham on the opening day of the Premier League season, time looks to be running out if he is to find regular football this campaign.

Celtic reportedly remain interested in the 21-year-old, with theRangers also keen on him. Considering Sevilla were being asked for upwards of £20m in total for a permanent deal just a few months ago, that £7.5m may now look like a fantastic bargain for the Scottish clubs.

United are not interested in sending him out on another loan, as with just a single year left on his contract, they now look to be attempting to cash in before he can leave for free.

Meanwhile, Elena Sadiku says that she is looking forward to being tested in Celtic FC Women’s game against Glasgow City.

Fabrizio Romano – Atalanta sign midfield star, fee in excess of €20m plus add-ons

Keeping hold of Matt while adding a few more faces would see this go down as our most successful window in years.

First things first, we need new signings, a minimum of three new faces is required. A centre back, a left back and a versatile attacker would be ideal and would help us greatly in the challenge ahead this campaign, particularly in Europe.

However keeping Matt O’Riley would prove to be just as important as any new face arriving at Celtic Park. I’m not saying that would excuse a lack of transfer activity from our custodians, as it wouldn’t. We desperately need fresh faces in the squad, and if we managed to do just that and keep Matt it would have to go down as a very successful window, our best in many a year.

Matt is a superb player and will only get better. He’s a vital part of our team and fits well into Brendan’s system and keeping him will only make us stronger in our quest to be successful this season. And by that I don’t just mean domestically, but in the Champions League also.

I’m not saying we will go far in the Champions League, that would be somewhat ridiculous, but maybe just maybe we could compete a little better than we previously have and actually getting through the group stages. That would have to be seen as major progress.

Keeping Matt is just as important in our ambitions of competing in Europe, do just that and add a couple of new faces and things will be looking a little rosier. If the lowballing tyre-kickers from Atalanta have moved onto other targets after having FIVE lowball bids rejected – none ever meeting the asking price – then they have proved themselves to be time-wasters. Not that we are complaining.

Matt can increase his valuation this season by starring in the Champions League for Celtic. That will also get him a move to a bigger club than Atalanta who have won two trophies in total since the early 1960s.

Fabrizio Romano this evening reports that “Atalanta are set to sign Lazar Samardzić! Deal being sealed as revealed earlier today. Fee in excess of €20m plus add-ons as Samardzić will not travel with Udinese this weekend to undergo medical as new Atalanta player.

⚫️🔵🇷🇸 Atalanta are set to sign Lazar Samardzić! Deal being sealed as revealed earlier today.

Fee in excess of €20m plus add-ons as Samardzić will not travel with Udinese this weekend to undergo medical as new Atalanta player. pic.twitter.com/rSifRUUNkw

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2024

Chris Sutton says £11m Premier League deal shows Celtic have secured a bargain

Depending on who you ask, Celtic have either massively overpaid or completed a fine piece of business.

Was nine goals in 19 games enough to justify a potential £9.5 million outlay. One that could make Adam Idah, presuming those add-ons can be met, the most expensive signing in Celtic’s history?

Well, maintain the form of his ‘immense’ first spell at Parkhead and the answer to that question will be a resounding yes. It wasn’t just the sheer number of goals – Idah averaging one-in-two during his loan spell from Norwich City – but the timing of them that made the Republic of Ireland international such a hit north of the border.

Stoppage time efforts against Hibernian and Motherwell. That dramatic last-gasp winner in the Scottish Cup final against Old Firm rivals Rangers. Without Idah’s intervention, a season which ended in two trophies for Brendan Rodgers’ side could realistically have culminated in none at all.

So former Celtic hitman Chris Sutton – who previously described the slow pace of negotiations as ‘baffling’ – is delighted to see Idah return.

Late, after all, is infinitely better than never.

Chris Sutton delighted by Celtic’s Adam Idah deal

“Idah’s return is a major positive,” Sutton tells the Daily Record. “It’s funny seeing some fans complaining about the £9.5 million fee after demanding the Parkhead board open the purse strings all summer.

“I don’t think it’s a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. If you think back to 2000, the deals for the likes of myself, Neil Lennon and John Hartson would be worth about £13 million when you consider inflation.

“If you look at football inflation, I’d cost about £150m these days!”

Sutton does have a point.

Pretty much every club you could think of have broken their transfer record in the last few years. The game has changed considerably, even in the five years since Celtic stumped up £9 million for Odsonne Edouard.

And after banking considerable sums following the sales of Jota, Liel Abada and Carl Starfelt – and with Matt O’Riley potentially on his way too – it is surely only a good thing that The Hoops are reinvesting those funds back into the playing squad.

Sutton also highlights the £11 million fee Ipswich Town are paying for another striker based in England’s second-tier.

Yes, Sammie Szmodics won the Championship Golden Boot last season with Blackburn Rovers. But, five years older than Idah and with considerably less re-sale potential, Celtic’s deal may represent better pound-for-pound value.

“The money paid for Idah is just the market right now,” adds Sutton, who spoke in similarly positive tones about the return of Paulo Bernardo. “Ipswich Town are shelling out up to £11m to Blackburn Rovers for Idah’s Ireland teammate Sammie Szmodics.

“Idah is younger and has more potential. And you have to think (he) would flourish under a manager like Rodgers, who is renowned for developing players.

“You only have to look at the improvement of Matt O’Riley under his charge.”

Idah was hugely important in double win

Sutton, by his own admission, was not convinced by Idah initially. But after watching him dominate defenders in the Premiership and showcase his new-found heading ability, those concerns quickly dissipated.

“I had concerns about him not using his physical attributes,” the former Aston Villa man explains. “But he came up with the answers. It was telling he started the decider down at Kilmarnock last term and it was one of the best all round centre forward performances I’d seen in a long time.

“Kilmarnock are a big, strong, organised team under Derek McInnes. Yet Idah absolutely bullied them. His hold up play and movement was always okay but I felt he made great strides, even in just a few months under Rodgers, especially in the air.

“Look at his thumping header at Motherwell. He scored another cracker with his head for Ireland in the summer. It’s another part of his game he has improved and will keep improving under Rodgers because there is still scope to get better.”

Celtic have started the Premiership campaign with two wins, six goals and a pair of clean sheets. Rodgers’ side face Hibernian in the Scottish Cup on Sunday

Celtic make first enquiry to sign “top-class” ace; club now open to offers

After an excellent start to their Scottish Premiership campaign, Celtic have reportedly continued their search for a new left-back, making their first enquiry to sign an alternative to Owen Beck.

Celtic transfer news

The Bhoys have started their title defence in style, securing an opening-day thrashing of Kilmarnock, before a 2-0 victory over Hibernian. Even after winning two from two, however, Celtic could still strengthen in the remainder of the transfer window, with doubts over Matt O’Riley’s future potentially leading to a replacement in the next two weeks. If one does arrive, they will join Adam Idah in reinforcing Brendan Rodgers’ attack.

Welcoming the forward, Rodgers told Celtic’s official website: “We are delighted to welcome Adam back to Celtic on a permanent basis and we are so pleased that he has agreed this new five-year contract with the club.

“The club has done brilliantly to secure this long-term deal. We are investing in a player of real quality who will be crucial for us over the next few years. He is a player who already has given us so much, performing fantastically for us on loan and really delivering for the club and our fans last season.”

Now, having solved their striker problem, those in Scotland have reportedly turned their attention towards a left-back reinforcement. According to Sky Sports, Celtic have made their first enquiry to sign Owen Wijndal, with Ajax open to selling the 24-year-old, in what could be an ideal alternative to rumoured target Beck.

The Bhoys have been linked with the Liverpool youngster, but given competition from Leeds United in the race for his signature, Wijndal could emerge as an ideal option.

“Superb” Wijndal would be an impressive coup

Now 25 years old, Wijndal should be in the prime of his career and may now get the chance to finally realise his potential courtesy of Celtic. After spending last season on loan at Royal Antwerp, it doesn’t seem as though the Dutchman has a place in Francesco Farioli’s Ajax side, allowing the Bhoys to potentially swoop in and secure his signature.

If Wijndal does arrive, meanwhile, he will have the job of competing against Greg Taylor to earn a place in Rodgers’ starting side in what would be excellent defensive depth. Described as a “top-class left-back” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig back in 2021, those in Scotland have just two weeks to seal an impressive coup.

A defender capable of making an attacking impact, Celtic would be sealing their transfer window in style by signing Wijndal.

Clubs declare interest in signing Celtic star as key Rangers exit backed on one condition

Latest Celtic and Rangers transfer news and rumours this weekend

Celtic are hoping to win the title once again this season under Brendan Rodgers. They are also aiming to do better in Europe.

As for Rangers, they want to pip their rivals to top spot. Here is a look at some of the latest news and rumours regarding the pair…

Celtic boss Rodgers has said winger Mikey Johnston is attracting interest from elsewhere at the moment. The Hoops have a big decision to make regarding his long-term future at Celtic Park.

In this latest update regarding his situation, the manager said: “I’m open at the moment in terms of where things are at. I gave Mikey his debut back when he was 18 and played him so we’ve got a good relationship and we talk openly.

“I think he’s at the stage, Mikey, where he’ll probably want to play more. But he’s worked hard over pre-season and put himself in a really good position. There are some clubs that have shown interest in him, but we’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.”

He added: “He won’t be available for the weekend. He’ll rejoin the training group fairly soon. He had a little problem with his eye socket up a bit deeper back in his face, but hopefully, he’ll be okay fairly soon.”

Johnston, who is 25-years-old, has been on the books at Celtic for his whole career to date. He rose up through the academy ranks of the champions and represented them at various different youth levels as a youngster.

The Republic of Ireland international has made 93 appearances in all competitions and has scored 13 goals. He has also been loaned away to Vitória de Guimarães and West Brom to get game time.

Johnston was a hit with the latter during his temporary spell in England during the second-half of the last campaign. He fired seven goals in 21 matches for the Baggies as they made the play-offs. However, they lost at the semi-finals stage over two legs to eventual winners Southampton and he has since returned to his parent club with his future up in the air now.

Rangers exit verdict

Pundit Leanne Crichton are ‘not in a position’ to sell James Tavernier this summer. The right-back has been a key player at Ibrox over recent years but has been linked with an exit in this window.

Crichton has delivered her verdict on the player on The Go Radio Football Show: “The chat around James Tavernier for example has gone quite quiet. There was a lot of chat about whether he would move on or not, can you imagine before the end of the transfer window that Rangers sell James Tavernier as well?

“At a point where the players on the pitch are not quite good enough and the players that are on the bench are not fit and available, the players that are sidelined don’t appear to be back anytime soon and then you’ve got a player in James Tavernier who’s always fit, always available and always on the teamsheet.

“You can see it happening because that’s the type of decision that would not surprise you at Rangers just now. They’re not in a position to sell him, but they would sell him perhaps to take the money into the club.”

Atalanta admit Matt O’Riley transfer defeat as Italians ‘lose patience’ over Celtic star pursuit

The Serie A side identified the Hoops star as their top target but are said to have now given up

Matt O’Riley

Atalanta have reportedly finally admitted defeat in their bid to land Celtic midfield star Matt O’Riley with the Serie A side said to be on the verge of concluding a deal for their alternative target, Udinese’s Serbia international Lazar Samardzic.

The Italians made FIVE bid for the former Denmark international with the most recent said to be in the region of £23million but the Parkhead side are holding out for more than that. That has seen the Europa League champions “lose patience” with Parkhead powerbrokers and end all interest in the 23-year-old former MK Dons star.

A report on Football Italia claims Atalanta “have decided to drop Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley and instead can conclude their swoop for Udinese and Serbia international star Lazar Samardzic”. O’Riley had been Atalanta’s first choice to replace Juventus-bound Teun Koopmeiners. Samardzic, at 22 – a year younger than O’Riley – is well known to the Bergamo-based club given his time in Serie A.

Samardzic is said to have been left out of Udinese’s squad for their league opener against Bologna with a move imminent. The initial fee is reported to be in the region of £17m but will rise to £23m with various add-ons, making him a cheaper option than O’Riley.

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Rodgers defends Idah price tag and hails ‘great deal’ for striker 

Ireland frontman has re-joined Celtic from Norwich for a fee reported to be worth £8.5million with the potential to rise by £1million more

GOT HIS MAN: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers (left) gives instructions to Celtic’s Adam Idah (centre) during the cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Pic: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic secured a “great deal” with the purchase of Adam Idah as he thanked the board for showing faith in his call.

Idah has re-joined Celtic from Norwich for a fee reported to be worth £8.5million with the potential to rise by £1million more, after hitting nine goals in 19 matches on loan including a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final winner.

The figure puts Idah’s transfer in a similar bracket to the club-record fee paid for Odsonne Edouard in 2018 during Rodgers’ first spell in charge.

Many Celtic fans had been concerned over the club’s summer transfer business, which has now seen them replace Joe Hart with Kasper Schmeichel and bring back Idah and Paulo Bernardo following loan spells.

But questions have now been raised over the fee paid to the Canaries.

Rodgers said: “You can never win, can you? I mean, ‘you don’t spend money’, you do spend money, ‘you spend too much’?

“We’ve got a great deal. I know the player that we have here and for me it’s just a case of just getting him moving in the direction that I believe he can move in. He has all the talent, he’s 6ft 3in, quick, strong, his touch is good, he can score goals and he has big moments in big games.

“For me there’s still areas that he can improve on, of course and as a young player that’s what you’d expect, but I really think that whatever money we paid for him, he’s worth every single penny of it. And he’ll demonstrate in the next 24 months that he will be worth a lot more than that.

“I wanted to do everything I could and I thank the board for reaching out and getting Adam here because I think he can really flourish.”

Rodgers had stressed the need for quality over quantity after returning to Celtic last summer while recruitment plans were in place that saw eight players arrive. None of them started in the cup final or in the opening two matches of this season.

“It’s just the attitude to risk,” Rodgers said. “You can sign a player for one, two million pounds, fine. And you might sell them for £10million. But you can sign a player for seven or eight, maybe sell them for 30 to 40.

“It’s the same thing but it’s really trusting the process and trusting a team of people that can work very, very hard and then allowing you to get the players in.

“For example, if you spend £18million and you spend it on nine players, I would hope there’s a possibility to spend £18million on three players.”

Celtic remain in the hunt for new players and their plans will not hinge on the future of Matt O’Riley, who remains the subject of serious interest from Atalanta.

Rodgers said: “We don’t want to lose Matt O’Reilly. But still, we need to strengthen in certain areas. And we have the resource to do that. So, selling players won’t determine what we can bring in.

“The guys here have absolutely been brilliant and as we’ve moved on and connected, it’s been great. But you always have to look to improve.

“Not only that, there are some gaps in our squad where we’re light in terms of numbers, and cover and competition. So, that’s what we have to work very hard to try and achieve by the end of the window.”

Celtic will make a late decision on the fitness of Kyogo Furuhashi for Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup tie against Hibernian after the Japanese striker suffered a shoulder problem in last week’s league win at Easter Road. Mikey Johnston will miss out with a facial injury.

Why Idah’s homecoming for Celtic could bring League Cup home

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 23: Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers shakes hands with Adam Idah during a Celtic training session at Lennoxtown Training Centre, on May 23, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) (Image: Craig Williamson – SNS Group)

All eyes will be trained on one man this weekend at Celtic Park.

For once it won’t be Kyogo Furuhashi or Matt O’Riley or even Brendan Rodgers himself. Nope, that honour belongs to the £9.5 million man Republic of Ireland and Celtic striker Adam Idah. It’s official Idah is a Celtic player. Did anybody ever doubt, he would be? O ye of little faith.

Idah’s long-awaited homecoming will take place on Sunday at Parkhead against Hibernian in the League Cup as Rodgers’ men go in search of the one piece of silverware the club meekly surrendered last season at the first time of asking in a horror show at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock.

An injury to Japanese talisman Kyogo had the Celtic supporters running around with their heads on fire last weekend, especially after his replacement Mikey Johnston also left the field injured. The 23-year-old attacker is at long last in the building ready to pick up from where he left off last season after his nine goals from January onwards propelled Celtic to a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double.

Never fear, Idah is here.

Rodgers said: “As if by magic! I’m absolutely delighted. People talk about transfer fees and everything else – this is a guy who paid that last year. I’m delighted for him because I think that he’s got huge potential and he showed that last season.

“I was so relaxed when he signed because I knew what his talent was. What you never know sometimes in recruitment is mentality. I think what I have seen in my time here is that he proved to me that he has that big-club mentality. I wanted to do everything that I could – and I thank the board for reaching out and getting Adam here – because I think that over the next two to three years he can really flourish and show all of the quality that he has.

“He’s in an environment where he will improve, he’s shown he can deal with pressure in big moments and I’m really excited for him and for the supporters and team. We’ve got someone back who can help us going forward.”

The player revealed that the humungous transfer fee won’t be an albatross around his neck. His manager feels the same. Rodgers believes that Idah has already repaid the multi-millions by scoring the goals that guaranteed Celtic entry into the Champions League league phase proper. Now Rodgers can’t wait to see what value will be placed upon the players in two years. He also reiterated his plan to have two number-one strikers occupying the number-nine role for Celtic.

Horses for courses? You best believe it. The Irishman said: “You can never win, can you? You don’t spend money, you do spend money or you spend too much money. We’ve got a great deal, and I know the player that we have here. It’s just the case of getting him moving in the direction that I believe he can get to.

“He has all the talent, 6 foot 3, quick and strong, his touch is good and he can score goals. Like I said, he has big moments in big games. For me, there are still areas where he can improve, of course, but you expect that as a young player. I do think whatever money we paid for him, he’s worth every single penny of it. He’ll be worth a lot more than that in 24 months.

“I’ll make it clear that I see both of them as number-one strikers. Kyogo in his time here has been brilliant, he has started the season really well. You cannot rely on someone to play to the highest level 55-60 games a season. We want to go deep in as many competitions as we can. That will take us to that number of games. You can’t have just one striker to do that.

“I felt that I wanted another guy who I could call a number-one striker. That’s what I feel I have, it just depends on the game, the energy, the team and the circumstances around the fixture list. Having those two is a big asset for us.”

Idah’s capture is a sure-fire sign yet that the club means business. Yet as the August 30th transfer deadline looms Rodgers insists there is still so much to do. It’s all about the risk and reward for the Irishman. He revealed that he is targeting signings in the Idah and Nicolas Kuhn ilk as they have speed and power which is vital for the club if they are going to be successful in the new Champions League format.

The 51-year-old explained: “I think for supporters and you look at it from their perspective then what they want from the club is two things. One, is your club well run? So, there is no doubt that Celtic is super well run as a club. The organisation is very good. Two, supporters want to have the best team possible on the pitch. That allows them to skip back to each game and be really excited about watching their team.

“I always think that’s the challenge. That is our challenge. To get to the end of this window and have the very best team that we can possibly have on the field. That’s what we want. That’s what the Celtic supporters want. Hopefully, we can do that. I say hope, I want us to be able to do that.

“It is the attitude to risk. You can sign a player for one or two million and you might sell them for 10 million. You can buy a player at seven or eight million and sell him for thirty or forty million. It’s the same thing. It is all about trusting the process and the team of people who work really hard and allow me to get the players in. The Celtic supporters are deserving of that.

“What they invest worldwide in this team in terms of merchandise and everything is incredible. It is our duty to try and get the best team we possibly can on the field. That inspires them to come and watch their team. That’s what we try to do with the style of football that we play but that will always be elevated by the level of player that you have. That is our notion over the final weeks of the window to look to have a really strong team.

“I think I’ve said before but, for example, if you spend £18 million, and you spend it on nine players, I would hope there’s a possibility to spend 18 on three players. Our model is to bring in young players to develop and improve, but you can bring young players in to develop and improve but at a higher level and then you know a little bit more of what you’re getting maybe and there’s maybe a higher ceiling. You might be able to bring in one more or two more at that level. I think we can do that, it’s just about getting the right player.

“If you look at Adam (Idah) and Nicolas Kuhn in particular then two of the key attributes they possess are power and speed. At that level, it is very important. You can have all the tactical ideas in the game and whatnot but at that level speed and power alongside the technique. That is certainly some of the attributes we would look at in the players we bring in.”

The one blip on Celtic’s campaign last season was the concession of the League Cup trophy on that fateful August day at Rugby Park. Rodgers’ Celtic have come a long way since then. A very long way. It still irks him though that the club coughed up a piece of silverware that shattered his unblemished record of never having lost in a cup competition during his spells as Celtic boss.

Rodgers said: “We were disappointed last season and I think I mentioned it before from my first season I sort of had a ball and chain wrapped around me in terms of winning trophies and everything else. That probably allowed us to break free from that in an indirect way even though we would love to have won it.

“Certainly from that point, we have progressed and developed. The team is in a much better place now. My compass is always looking at training. I look this season at how we’ve been training and how we’ve been working and we’ve been able to take that onto the games.

“This is the next game and it is the most important one. We want to get through. There is no doubt, I’ve always said it and we should set that mentality and target that we want to win every trophy. That is something we know we have to work very hard to do. That starts on Sunday.

“I enjoyed winning the League Cup the first time I was up here. It brings a nice edge early on in the season rather than having to wait until later on in the campaign to win trophies. I thought it was really good. It is an opportunity for you to get your hands on a trophy and be a great part of the history of this club. We want to challenge in every competition that we are in. This is our first one here and I am excited by it.”

Rodgers wants the League Cup trophy to come back home. A glorious debut from Idah on his Celtic Park second homecoming on Sunday could very well see that reality move a step closer.

Watch: TV Cameras Pick up Great Scenes from the Stands in Celtic’s Derby Win

Some amazing footage has surfaced showing a young fan crowd-surfing in the stands as Celtic clinched a decisive 3-0 victory over Rangers in the season’s first Glasgow Derby at Celtic Park.

Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Rangers – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – September 1, 2024 Celtic fans inside the stadium before the match Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Celtic once again asserted their dominance in Scottish football with a strong performance, initially having a goal by Kyogo disallowed for offside against Nicolas Kuhn after a VAR check. However, the setback did little to deter the home side, and Daizen Maeda quickly put Celtic ahead with a sharp finish.

The atmosphere in the North Curve was electric, particularly among the Green Brigade, where the jubilant crowd-surfing incident took place as the match neared its conclusion.

— e – GrandOLTeam (@JBLuvsCeltic) September 1, 2024

Celtic’s relentless pressure continued throughout the game, with Kyogo doubling the lead before half-time. This marked his eighth goal in clashes against Rangers.

New signings Arne Engels and Luke McCowan made their debuts from the bench in the second half, adding fresh energy to the team. The definitive moment came in the 75th minute when captain Callum McGregor sealed the victory with a stunning long-range strike.

The match concluded at 3-0, with Celtic comfortably controlling the game, with the Celtic backline not tested too much.

The supporter’s crowd-surfing moment perfectly captured the joy and unity among Celtic fans, celebrating yet another memorable derby triumph.

Celtic Not Walking Away From Deal, Continuing Talks With Championship Side

Celtic are refusing to give up on their bid to bring in Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty, according to Sky Sports News.

Brendan Rodgers has shifted out fringe centre-backs Yuki Kobayashi and Gustaf Lagerbielke, with the former leaving permanently and the latter heading away from Parkhead on loan.

Celtic want to get a new centre-back in through the door before the window closes and they are focusing on former Arsenal man Trusty.

A bid of £5m has been turned down by Sheffield United, but Celtic do not consider that the end of the matter and are continuing to hold talks with the Blades.

Trusty played the full 90 minutes for Sheffield United in their 1-1 draw with Norwich City last weekend.

He also featured in the EFL Cup against Barnsley on Tuesday night.

Convincing Chris Wilder to sanction the exit of the American before the window closes may be tough and Celtic look likely to need to dig deep.

It was thought Sheffield United would be cooperative when Mikey Johnston headed to Bramall Lane, but that move has collapsed.

Trusty, who has been capped by the United States at international level, made over 100 appearances in the MLS before heading to Europe.

Celtic eye £20m trio, Rangers move for attacker and defender, Scotland striker sold for £1.5m – transfer news

The latest transfer news and speculation around Scottish football

Celtic receive shock £10m bid

Hot on the heels of Matt O’Riley’s £26million departure to Brighton, Celtic have received another big-money offer for one of their first-team stars. Fellow midfielder Reo Hatate has had an impressive start to the new season and that has not gone unnoticed with links to Premier League side Leicester City emerging recently. However, in a shock move, an club in France has launched a £10million bid for the Japanese international. According to the Daily Mail, Celtic are unwilling to lose any more key players this window and refused to entertain the offer from the unnamed Ligue 1 side. An approach from Russian side Zenit St Petersburg was also rebuffed earlier in the window. Hatate is under contract until 2028 and while he has expressed a desire to play at a higher level, he is said to be in no rush to leave Glasgow and will not be leaving before Friday’s 11pm deadline.

Rangers target Bundesliga defender

Following the departure of Ben Davies, who has joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan, Rangers are in the market for a replacement centre-half. The club were linked with a move for Brazilian defender Kaiky last week, who is currently with Almeria, however, it has been reported that a loan offer with an option to buy has been turned down by the Spanish second tier side. Fresh reports on Wednesday have credited Rangers with an interest in Hoffenheim centre-back Stanley Nsoki. According to French outlet L’Equipe, talks have taken place between the Ibrox side and the Bundesliga outfit over a loan move. The player is well known to Rangers boss Philippe Clement, who had him in his squad while he was manager of Club Brugge.

Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes has joined Birmingham City from Queens Park Rangers. | PA

Scotland striker sold for £1.5m

Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes has dropped down to League One after ending his four-year association with Queens Park Rangers to sign for Birmingham on a three-year contract. The 28-year-old joined the West London club from Livingston in August 2020 and scored 37 goals for the Championship club. However, after making only two substitute appearances this term since returning from the injury that ruled him out of the Euro 2024 earlier this summer, Dykes has moved to Birmingham for a reported £1.5million fee. “The club has a clear aim for where they want to go in the future,” Dykes told the Blues website after his transfer was announced on Wednesday. “It is ambitious and that is like myself as a player. I want to get to the top and I am hoping that can be with Birmingham. There are quality players here and I can’t wait to get started. It is a top-class club and I want to help it get back to where it belongs and further.”

Celtic eye £20m trio

Celtic are still hoping to land at least three more new signings before Friday’s transfer deadline following the arrival of left-back Alex Valle on a season-long loan from Barcelona. Valle, 20, who played last season on loan at Levante after a spell at Andorra, is the first new outfield signing Celtic have made this summer. Now the club are ramping up attempts to land Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels amid reports that a £10million offer has been submitted for the Belgium Under-21 international. Celtic are also looking to strike a deal for Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty after placing a £5.5million offer. A move for Los Angeles FC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz is off the table after the clubs failed to agree a fee, however, according to reports, Celtic have now turned their attentions back to FC Lausanne playmaker Alvyn Sanches. The midfielder, 21, was previously linked with Celtic in January but the interest has now been revived following the departure of Matt O’Riley. The valuations of the three players could see Celtic spend up to £20m in the final throes of the transfer window.

Rangers target Nedim Bajrami celebrates scoring for Albania against Italy at Euro 2024. (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Rangers move for 25 y/o attacker

With Scott Wright and Todd Cantwell edging towards the Ibrox exit door, Rangers are scouring the market for attacking players to take their place. According to one report, Albanian international Nedim Bajrami has emerged as a priority target. The Rangers Review claim that the Light Blues are in “advanced talks” with the 25-year-old’s current club Sassuolo over a loan deal with an option to buy. Bajrami suffered relegation from Serie A with Sassuolo last season and is looking to move on before the transfer deadline. He was part of the Albania squad at Euro 2024 in Germany this summer, where he scored the tournament’s fastest-ever goal after 23 seconds in a 2-1 defeat against Italy. Rangers’ interest in the player comes as Cantwell closes in on a move to Blackburn Rovers with Wright nearing a switch to Birmingham City.

Celtic would look for a fee of around £20m for Kyogo amid Man City interest

Manchester City are yet to lodge a formal bid for Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi but their interest in the Japanese international is genuine with a move possible in the coming days, according to the Daily Mail.

The Premier League club want the 29-year-old Hoops star as a potential replacement for Argentine forward Julian Alvarez, who they sold to Atletico Madrid for £82 million.

Agreeing personal terms with the Celtic ace would not be a problem given his desire to move to Man City, and the Daily Mail claim the Parkhead club would look for a fee of around £20m for his services.

They insist Celtic would be unlikely to block on any deal if the English giants came to the negotiations table with more than £20m.

It is not up to the initial £25m (plus add-ons/bonuses and a sell-on clause) Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly agreed to pay for Denmark international midfielder Matt O’Riley – which is around the fees the Bhoys got from the sales of Kieran Tierney and Jota, but it could indeed be tempting enough for Celtic.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has signed Adam Idah, but he would be keen to bring in another forward should the Japanese leave in the coming days.

Celtic recruited Kyogo for £4.5m in July 2021, and the opportunity to make around five times that value would be good business.

Their recruitment team will already be looking at their database to identify a perfect replacement for the Asian capable of giving Idah a run for his money.

Celtic will fancy their chances of surviving without the services of Kyogo, and they will not likely stand in his way if he expresses a desire to join Man City and the Etihad Stadium club meet their demands.

 

Celtic Kyogo Furuhashi transfer price tag ‘revealed’

Kyogo Furuhashi is a reported Manchester City transfer target (Image: SNS)

Celtic will demand at least £20m to sell Kyogo Furuhashi to Manchester City, according to a report.

The Premier League club are thought to be considering a transfer swoop for the Japan striker after Julian Alvarez moved to Atletico Madrid.

But any deal will have to topple £20m for Celtic to sanction the transfer, according to the Daily Mail.

The outlet reports Celtic would be ‘unlikely to block’ a transfer if a £20m fee is offered for the striker.

Kyogo still has three years left on his Celtic contract and there is no need for the striker to be sold.

Brendan Rodgers recently signed Adam Idah on a permanent deal after a loan spell in Glasgow from Norwich – with Daizen Maeda having deputised as a central striker in the win over Hibs last weekend.

Kyogo missed the match as a precaution after suffering a shoulder  injury in league action.

On Kyogo’s omission, Rodgers commented: “Clearly, the shoulder that he got injured last weekend,” the Hoops manager told BBC Scotland.

“He doesn’t feel 100 per cent but normally he is okay to go again.

“This is a problem that he has had or managed from away back in Japan, not just here.

“It’s something that we felt we didn’t need to take the risk with it this weekend.

“He has been fantastic for us all the way through pre-season, done very well and for this one here – especially now having Adam Idah back, who is not quite there in terms of fitness or where we’d want him to be but he is certainly going to be an option for us.

“That allows us then to recover Kyogo.

“It can be [fixed] if he has an operation but that will be down to him.

“He clearly hasn’t wanted that for a number of years.”

Meanwhile, Matt O’Riley has been tipped to leave Celtic for Brighton in a record-breaking deal.

The midfielder has been at the centre of transfer speculation all summer with bids from Atalanta thrown out by club chiefs.

 

Celtic transfers: Japanese player seals exit, three bids for defender rejected, O’Riley replacements lined up

The latest transfer news and speculation surrounding Celtic

Johnston eyed by Clarets

Mikey Johnston could be set for a return to the English Championship following his successful loan spell at West Brom last season. The Republic of Ireland winger has made just one substitute appearance for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season despite impressing at West Brom, where he scored seven goals in 20 appearances. The Baggies were said to be exploring a possible return for Johnston, but according to Football Insider, fellow Championship side Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are now eyeing a move for the 25-year-old.

Three bids for defender rejected

Celtic have reportedly turned down three seperate approaches for defender Cameron Carter-Vickers after receiving approaches from Italy and Turkey. According to the Express, Galatasaray, Besiktas and Atalanta have all contacted Celtic over a possible move for the US international centre-back, but have been turned away. Celtic look set to lose midfielder Matt O’Riley before the deadline with discussions ongoing over a £25million transfer to Brighton so keeping hold of other key members of the starting 11 such as Carter-Vickers is a priority.

Kyogo on Pep’s radar

Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi has emerged as a shock transfer target for Manchester City. The English Premier League champions are in the market for a new forward to provide cover and competition for Erling Haaland following the £82million departure of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid. And, according to reports, City have whittled down their transfer targets down to Kyogo, 29, and one other other younger forward. It is claimed that personal terms would not be an issue with the Japanese international keen on joining Pep Guardiola’s side despite the lack of guarantees over regular first-team football at the Etihad.

Lagerbielke set for move

Out-of-favour Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke is closing in on a loan move to the Netherlands. The Swedish international made just 10 appearances for the club following last summer’s arrival from Elfsborg. A proposed loan move to Italian side Lecce collapsed in January due to an injury to Cameron Carter-Vickers. The Serie A side have been linked again this summer but it now appears that Lagerbielke will be joining Dutch outfit Heerenveen. According to Sky Sports, negotations over a move to the Eredivisie side are at an advanced stage.

Johnston eyed by Clarets

Mikey Johnston could be set for a return to the English Championship following his successful loan spell at West Brom last season. The Republic of Ireland winger has made just one substitute appearance for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season despite impressing at West Brom, where he scored seven goals in 20 appearances. The Baggies were said to be exploring a possible return for Johnston, but according to Football Insider, fellow Championship side Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are now eyeing a move for the 25-year-old.

Japanese player seals exit

Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi has left the club. That is according to media in Portugal, who claim that the 24-year-old centre-back has completed a move to Portimonense. A report in O Jogo, which included a picture of the player arriving in the country, states that a deal has already been agreed with Celtic with Kobayashi joining the Premiera Liga club on a four-year contract. Kobayashi, who signed for Celtic in January 2023 under Ange Postecoglou, did not play a single minute for the Celtic first team under Brendan Rodgers last season.

O’Riley replacements lined up

With Matt O’Riley edging towards a £25million move to Brighton, Celtic are in the market for midfield reinforcements. Names being linked include Augsburg’s Arne Engels, Lausanne midfielder Alvyn Sanches and Los Angeles star Mateusz Bogusz. 20-year-old Engels, who featured 32 times in the Bundesliga last season, scoring three goals and five assists, is valued at around £10million by his club. Sanches, meanwhile, is rated at around £4.3million, with clubs around Europe said to be keen on the 21-year-old winger, who has been compared to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. Bogusz, 22, has excellent stats in the MLS with 16 goals and six assists from 32 appearances. Reports claim Celtic would need to spend up between £6-£8million to get this move over the line. There is also rumoured interest from Celtic in Dundee’s Luke McCowan, who would be a cheaper option, with a fee of around £1million likely to secure his signature ahead of his contract expiring next summer.

Report: Celtic Not Banking On Matt O’Riley Exit To Sign Target

Celtic do not see the addition of a midfielder they are in talks to sign as dependent upon the departure of Matt O’Riley, according to Sky Sports News.

The Scottish champions could soon cash in on O’Riley, with a lucrative offer on the table from Premier League side Brighton.

Brendan Rodgers has already admitted he cannot sign a like for like replacement for O’Riley and is likely to instead look to bring in two midfielders.

Celtic are now holding talks with MLS side LAFC in an effort to sign former Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Bogusz.

The Polish attacking midfielder is available, but only for the right price, and Celtic will have to splash the cash to get him.

Celtic though are not pinning the arrival of Bogusz on the exit of O’Riley.

The club want to sign Bogusz even if they keep hold of O’Riley and their interest in him is not related to what happens to the Dane.

Bogusz, 23, could not break through at Leeds and was sent out on loans to Spanish sides Logrones and Ibiza.
He then headed for LAFC on a permanent deal last year.

 

Celtic Closing in on £8m Deal – Report

After reports earlier today Celtic were in talks, it has now been revealed Celtic are closing in on a deal for LAFC’s highly-rated midfielder Mateusz Bogusz.

Scott Burn’s writes in RecordSport that The Hoops are in advanced talks with the Major League Soccer club over an £8 million transfer for the 22-year-old Pole, who is eager for another shot at a major European club after his stint with Leeds United.

Bogusz’s potential move to Celtic Park would see him following the footsteps of Artur Boruc, Magic Zurawski and more recently Patryk Klimala and current first team squad player Maik Nawroki. Negotiations have been progressing well, and there are not expected to be any hurdles in agreeing personal terms with the player.

The midfielder has been playing under 21s for Poland but is expected to be called up to the senior squad for the Nation’s league.

Rodgers hinted at the need for reinforcements in the midfield following Celtic’s weekend victory over Dundee, and Bogusz could be just the player to fill that gap. However, the situation is fluid as Celtic are also considering other midfield options, especially if Matt O’Riley departs. Brighton have been in discussions with Celtic over a potential record-breaking sale for O’Riley, which could trigger further moves in the market. You have to imagine the board are only comfortable spending £8m on Bogusz because of Matt’s potential fee to Brighton.

Augsburg’s Arne Engels is one player on Celtic’s radar, but his signing would likely depend on the funds generated from O’Riley’s potential sale.

We know Celtic are a selling club and when players are moved on it’s up to the club to find new stars. Let’s hope this is one of them!

One thing Victor Orta did deserve credit for was his ability to bring in an unknown teenage talent before the had become a household name while at Leeds United.

In the first team at Leeds currently include players like Illan Meslier, Pascal Struijk, Mateo Joseph and Wilfried Gnonto. All bought by Orta and his recruitment team as teenagers for tiny transfer fees.

Leeds have benefitted this summer, with another signed as a teen and turned into a proven elite player in the form of Crysencio Summerville leaving for West Ham. The Hammers have spent an initial £25m fee.

Plenty have come and gone, or fallen through the net. One that Leeds might feel a little bit of regret towards is Polish star Mateusz Bogusz after he was signed by Leeds as a 17-year-old from Ruch Churzow.

Mateusz Bogusz starring in America a year after leaving Leeds

Having only managed three senior appearances for Leeds during the Marcelo Bielsa era, Bogusz was loaned to Logrones before a move to Ibiza where he impressed before suffering an ACL injury.

Having recovered from that, the “talent” as described by Mateusz Klich returned to Ibiza for a second loan before he was recalled by Leeds and sold to MLS side LAFC who were looking to replace Gareth Bale.

In his first season, Bogusz scored four goals and laid on eight in 42 games. Not the best of numbers but this time around, he has scored a whopping 16 goals in 32 games and has laid on another six assists.

Celtic looking to replace Kyogo Furuhashi with Bogusz signing

An attacking midfielder during his time at Elland Road and on loan in Spain, and indeed during his first season with LAFC, he has since been moulded into a centre-forward or a false nine with the MLS outfit.

According to Meczyki, Celtic are ‘seriously’ interested in signing Bogusz with a fee between £6.8m and £8m said to be enough for his services. Talks are underway between the Scottish champions and LAFC.

With Kyogo a shock target for Premier League champions Manchester City, it could be that Celtic are looking to replace the Japan star and Bogusz could be the man they turn to to fire them to the title.

 

Sky Sport:  Heerenveen in advanced talks to sign Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke

Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke is edging closer to securing his exit from the Glasgow club before the end of the window. 

Dutch club Heerenveen have made a move to sign the 24-year-old centre-back, who will be allowed to leave the club this summer.

Back in June, Italian club Lecce made several approaches to sign the Swedish defender, and the club looked to sign him on loan with an option to buy permanently.

He was close to leaving the Scottish champions in January, but his move to Lecce was stalled after Cameron Carter-Vickers picked up an injury.

His situation at Celtic Park has not improved, and now he is close to joining Dutch outfit Heerenveen.

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Dutch club are in “advanced talks” to sign the Celtic defender over a loan deal.

The defender has struggled to break into the team following his £3 million move from Elfsborg last summer. Celtic have been open to offers for the Swedish international.

Joseph wrote on X: “UPDATE: Heerenveen are in advanced talks with Celtic over a loan deal for centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke.

“Celtic have been open to offers for the 24-year-old, who has struggled to break into the team following his £3m move from Elfsborg last summer.”

Celtic are also close to losing their star midfielder Matt O’Riley, who is on the verge of joining Premier League club Brighton.

Lagerbielke scored the winner against Feyenoord in the Champions League, but he has somehow failed to make a strong impression under Brendan Rodgers.

The centre-back has a contract at Parkhead until 2028, and Celtic can afford to let him go out on loan. If he enjoys a successful spell, Celtic can then look to demand a high transfer fee to offload him permanently.

It appears that talks are ongoing at an advanced stage, and since it’s a loan move, the defender should be able to seal a temporary exit from Celtic Park.

 

Celtic boost as ‘transfer target asking price dropped‘

Alvyn Sanches has been linked with a move to Celtic this summer (Image: Getty)

FC Lausanne-Sport have reduced their asking price for Celtic transfer target Alvyn Sanches, according to reports.

It’s claimed the Swiss club have chopped their valuation of the 21-year-old midfielder by £1m.

Brendan Rodgers is thought to be keen on Sanches with Celtic having reportedly held extensive talks over a transfer move, but no formal bid has been made.

The Express claims Celtic have been tracking Sanches for the last 18 months with scouts expecting the player to develop into a top talent.

While several clubs are thought to be interested in Sanches, it’s claimed Celtic have ‘done more legwork than most’ in discussing a possible transfer deal.

The outlet have also stated Celtic would only have to shell out £3m on Sanches, rather than the £4m initial transfer demand.

While FC Lausanne-Sport are under no pressure to sell, it’s thought Celtic would have no issue agreeing personal terms with the player should a fee be finalised.

Ramon Vega previously tipped Sanches to become a £20m player should he make the move to Celtic as a possible replacement for Matt O’Riley.

“Alvyn Sanches is a good prospect, especially for a club like Celtic,” he said. “He is a great talent. I have read that Celtic are in the market for a Matt O’Riley replacement. To fill that void will be very difficult. If Celtic signed Sanches now then he could make them a lot of money in resell value in two to three years.

“If Sanches signed for Celtic now and he did well, I could see him becoming Celtic’s next £20 to £25 million-plus player just like O’Riley.  If he signs for a club like Celtic and plays the way I think he can play then within two years he would be a minimum £20 million player.”

 

Exclusive: Burnley work on deal to sign Celtic’s Mikey Johnston

Burnley are lining up a move for Celtic winger Mikey Johnston before the close of the transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.

Johnston, 25, is back at Celtic after spending the second half of last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

The Republic of Ireland international impressed during his time in England, scoring seven goals in 20 games to help the Baggies reach the play-offs.

Burnley are in the market for a new winger having sold Wilson Odobert to Tottenham and Johnston figures highly on their wanted list.

The skilful attacker is likely to remain down the pecking order at Celtic under Brendan Rodgers this season and the Clarets are hoping to lure him to Turf Moor.

Burnley line up late-window swoop for Celtic winger Johnston

Johnston has played 15 minutes for the Hoops this term and is under contract at Parkhead until June 2026.

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He came through the Glasgow giants’ academy and has hit 13 goals in 93 appearances for his boyhood club.

Burnley have wrapped up eight new signings this summer and Football Insider revealed on Wednesday (21 August) that Joe Worrall is undergoing a Turf Moor medical ahead of a permanent move.

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Scott Parker’s side have started the Championship campaign with two wins and nine goals from two games.

 

Celtic defender completes permanent move to Portugal

Portimonense have signed Yuki Koabayashi on a four year contract.

The defender never played a minute of first team football under Brendan Rodgers after arriving at Celtic as a free agent from Vissel Kobe in January 2023.

His arrival resulted in Celtic cancelling the loan deal for Moritz Jenz with Kobayashi the back up option to the established Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers partnership.

Physicality always seemed an issue, playing in the post split fixtures at Ibrox and Easter Road in May 2023 proved to be the end of the road for the 23-year-old with Tomoki Iwata dropped into defence for the final two matches of the season.

Tonight Portuguese publisher O-Jogo reports:

The transfer market is booming at Portimonense, which has secured three more signings in the last few hours: Japanese defender Yuki Kobayashi, Portuguese midfielder Nuno Campos and Angolan forward Chico Banza. This trio succeeds Brazilian centre-back Jefferson, who has already arrived in the Algarve and has been immediately under the command of Sérgio Vieira.

The main new signing is the 24-year-old Japanese international Kobayashi, who used to play for Celtic – either as a centre-back or on the left – and has signed a four-year deal and is now in Portugal. Nuno Campos, 31, is a right winger who has terminated his contract with Torreense and is joining for one season, while Chico Banza, 25, an Angolan international, is on loan from Cypriot side Anorthosis, in what is a return to Portuguese football, where he previously played for Leixões and Marítimo.

Getting a permanent move for a player surplus to requirements to move out on a permanent basis is a boost to Celtic’s finances and reduces the first team squad down to a more manageable level.

With Gus Lagerbielke a target for Heerenveen the surplus of central defenders looks like being whittled away with 10 days left in the transfer window.

Celtic played two pre-season friendlies last season against Portimonense, last season they finished 16th in the 18 team Liga Portugal.

 

Report names three clubs that have had Carter-Vickers bids rejected

Celtic are reported to have turned down offers from three clubs to sign Cameron Carter-Vickers.

After almost a year struggling with injury problems the former Spurs defender has been a fixture in the Celtic defence since the start of April, playing a key role in securing the domestic double.

In January Carter-Vickers signed a contract extension but as the current speculation about Matt O’Riley demonstrates a contract simply strengthens Celtic’s hand in negotiating transfer fees.

this afternoon The Express transfer blog reported:

Celtic are not open to selling Cameron Carter-Vickers in this window despite receiving interest from Italy and Turkey.

Express Sport understands that Galatasaray have enquired about the former Tottenham centre-back before being knocked back by the Hoops.

Besiktas and Serie A side Atalanta have also been turned away after making contact over a possible move for Carter-Vickers.

Celtic are determined to avoid further high-profile departures if star midfielder Matt O’Riley completes his move to Brighton.

Despite signing Gus Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki last summer, coupled with the emergence of Liam Scales whenever he was fit it was a case of Carter-Vickers and AN Other in the Celtic defence.

Most fans would be looking for Celtic to sign a partner of similar quality to the former Spurs man, selling Carter-Vickers would leave as big a gap in defence as the expected exit of O’Riley from the hoops midfield.

 

“It’s interesting” – Chris Sutton makes Adam Idah claim as Celtic sign Norwich City ace

Former Norwich City striker and pundit Chris Sutton believes the Canaries made the right decision to sell striker Adam Idah to Celtic.

Idah spent the second half of last season on loan at Celtic Park, and scored a number of crucial goals to help Brendan Rodgers’ side retain the Scottish Premiership title, as well as netting a 90th-minute winner in the Scottish Cup final against Old Firm rivals Rangers.

Adam Idah’s stats for Celtic last season (according to Transfermarkt)

Appearances

19

Goals

9

Assists

2

New Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup had initially hinted that he was keen to keep Idah, but with increasing speculation about his future, the 23-year-old failed to turn up for a flight to the club’s pre-season camp in Austria last month.

Idah was disciplined for the incident, and he did feature as a substitute in the Canaries’ 2-0 defeat at Oxford United on the opening day of the season, but he completed a permanent move to Celtic last week in a deal worth up to £9.5 million.

Thorup said Idah’s exit was “a good deal for everyone”, and Norwich are reportedly set to use the money received for the Irishman to sign Rakow Czestochowa striker Ante Crnac.

Sutton: Adam Idah sale was a good deal for Norwich City

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, via Instant Withdrawal Casino, Sutton said that selling Idah to Celtic for £9.5 million is good business for Norwich, but he believes the striker will be a loss for the Canaries.

“It’s interesting because if you ask a Norwich fan whether he’s worth £9.5 million, based on his performances at Norwich and the time he was there, they would say probably not,” Sutton said.

“If you ask a Celtic fan if he’s worth £9.5 million, they’d say that he came in and really did excellently.

“I think that’s the going rate, if you look at Celtic, they brought Odsonne Edouard in a few years ago for £9 million as a development player from PSG.

“If you compare the two and you look at Adam Idah’s profile in terms of his age and development, he will improve under Brendan Rodgers.

“It depends which way you want to look at it, but I think Norwich fans will say it’s a good deal.

“In pre-season, there was an incident where he refused to fly to a pre-season game and he got a bit of a dressing down for that, but he always had his heart set on a move to Celtic.

“I always felt that he thought it was probably going to happen and there needed to be a bit of patience, and eventually the deal got over the line.

“Celtic only have Kyogo Furuhashi as a striker, I know Daizen Maida has played there and scored a couple of goals at the weekend, but Celtic certainly needed that different type of centre-forward.

“Adam Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi dovetailed well last season, so I think he’s a good signing for Celtic.

“But he will be a loss for Norwich, I think there was a player in there and he was always a bit of a frustration.

“Celtic have seen him at his very best and Norwich haven’t quite seen that, so I think Norwich fans accept that this was a move that was probably best for all parties.”

Norwich City were right to cash in on Adam Idah

Thorup will be disappointed to lose Idah, and there is no doubt that he could have been a big asset for Norwich this season, but it was the correct decision for the Canaries to sell him.

It was clear that Idah was keen to return to Celtic on a permanent basis, and as Sutton says, receiving £9.5 million for the striker is an excellent deal for Norwich.

Sutton is right that Idah will be a loss for the Canaries, but he did struggle to deliver consistently during his time at Carrow Road, and it seems unlikely he would have been able to force his way into the starting line-up this season ahead of Josh Sargent.

The Canaries look set to spend the income from the sale of Idah on Crnac, but given that he has scored just nine goals in 40 appearances for Rakow Czestochowa, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to perform in the Championship.

 

Heerenveen CEO, Ferry de Haan, has shared how close his club are to signing Gustaf Lagerbielke before the transfer window closes next month.

We discussed yesterday how Lagerbielke had held talks with Celtic about a possible loan move out of the club with the Eredivisie side and Belgium’s KV Mechelen both reported to be interested in securing his signature.

Lagerbielke has been frozen out for much of his Celtic career after making his £3m move from Elfsborg last summer and has made just ten appearances in the Hoops.

Hereenveen ‘hopeful’ of completing Celtic deal

With interest in the Swedish defender high, the Dutch club CEO seems that he is quietly confident after being asked about a possible deal being struck with Celtic.

De Haan told Leeuwarder Courant, “It is not a done deal yet, but we are hopeful that it will work out.

“With Pawel Bochniewicz and Sam Kersten, we now have two central defenders.

“Mateja Milovanovic is still behind them but needs some time. We want to have a good line-up in the centre of defence.”

Why Hereenveen want Celtic defender

Hereenveen had a tough season in the Dutch flight last year finishing in 11th place, eight points behind the European play-off places and just eight points above the relegation zone.

The Dutch side also conceded 70 goals last season which is 17 more than they scored so it is clear that they have defensive deficiencies they need to address.

Clearly, Hereenveen has earmarked Lagerbielke as one who can improve their defensive fortunes despite his lack of minutes for Celtic.

His international experience and the fact that he is a former Swedish Defender of the Year proves that Lagerbielke has the quality but does now need to get first-team football to show it.

Unfortunately, it looks like that won’t happen at Celtic and a move away from Paradise now looks like it may well be on the cards.

 

Mikey Johnston ‘eyed’ by Burnley, 3 Carter-Vickers bids ‘rejected’ and latest on 2 targets – Celtic transfer state of play

It’s all moving fast now as Celtic put the final touches on their squad ahead of next Friday’s deadline

Out-of-favour Mikey Johnston is reportedly being eyed up by Burnley with the winger seemingly set for a return to the EFL.

The Celtic academy graduate impressed on loan at West Brom last season and seven goals in 20 appearances threatened to breathe new life into his stagnating career. He returned to Parkhead in the summer though and has assumed his previous role as a backup option under Brendan Rodgers, with 15 minutes off the bench against Hibs earlier this month his lot so far.

He wasn’t even in the squad for the Premier Sports Cup clash with the Hibees at the weekend with Luis Palma and Yang both getting off the bench to replace Nicolas Kuhn and James Forrest. Daizen Maeda would normally fill one of those wide berths but he was needed to lead the line – indicating Johnston is now viewed as sixth in the pecking order.

An exit would make sense given Rodgers is thought to be keen on strengthening out wide before the window closes, one of four positions he plans to beef up in before the deadline a week on Friday – a new striker, a new midfielder and competition at left-back also sought.

And now Football Insider report that Burnley are in the mix for Johnston having been impressed by his showings at West Brom last season. They say Scott Parker wants Johnston as a replacement for Wilson Odobert who joined Tottenham with the Celtic man ‘figuring highly’ on his list of targets.

Elsewhere Celts have reportedly knocked back three approaches for Cameron Carter-Vickers – and are determined not to lose more key men this window. The Hoops are bracing for Matt O’Riley’s move to Brighton and have also seen recent interest in Reo Hatate ramp up.

Cameron Carter-Vickers tussles with Hibernian’s Mykola Kukharevych (L) and Warren O’Hora

But one man they are seemingly determined not to lose is Carter-Vickers. Express Sport report that Galatsasray, Besiktas and Atalanta have all made their interest known but been shown the door with Rodgers not interested in losing a key defender. Carter-Vickers is the most prominent and established central defensive option and the Parkhead boss sees him as not for sale. That stance will only be reinforced by Gustaf Lagerbielke’s rapidly advancing loan move to the Netherlands.

As far as incomings go, Celtic are getting ahead of O’Riley’s move and Augsburg’s Arne Engels is a name who has fans excited. But it seems they’re casting a wide net for now, with Swiss midfielder Alvyn Sanches and Polish MLS star Mateusz Bogusz among the recent options to emerge.

On Sanches, Rodgers is thought to see the classy Lausanne playmaker as a similar player to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and it’s believed he’ll cost around £3m. On Bogusz, meanwhile, reports from Poland claim that Celtic are “seriously interested” in the one-time Leeds United player and that negotiations with the MLS side are ongoing to try and get a deal done ahead of the August 30 deadline.

The latter seems the further along of the pair as things stand but things move fast this close to the deadline. What’s interesting is that while Engels is a more conservative option, both Bogusz and Sanches are outright creators. The recent pivot to the latter profile of player could indicate Rodgers is looking at a more creative force to replace O’Riley – though the £25m+ on the table for the Dane could free up the funds to sign both

 

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has brought in goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo this summer to fight it out for a place between the sticks.

Expectedly, Schmeichel has come in as the preferred choice under the Irishman. However, there appears to be a succession plan in place, with Sinisalo primed for a future role in the starting line-up.

Scott Bain rounds off the glovesmen for Celtic. In essence, he is now the third choice at the club, supporting the positional pool and holding valuable status as a homegrown asset.

Before the summer window started, there were plenty of questions about who would assume Joe Hart’s duties. Nevertheless, it is one of the areas where the Bhoys have adequately strengthened in the eyes of most supporters.

However, incomings always lead to outgoings and Celtic prospect Tobi Oluwayemi is now closing in on a loan move away from the club.

Tobi Oluwayemi set for Dunfermline Athletic loan move

According to The Daily Record, Oluwayemi is set to complete a move to Scottish Championship outfit Dunfermline on loan after pursuing the Englishman for several weeks.

The 21-year-old is keen to gain regular minutes elsewhere this season, and James McPake’s side are now close to finalising a deal that would see him challenge Deniz Mehmet for the number one jersey.

Oluwayemi was included in Celtic’s pre-season tour of the United States and featured against Ayr United and Queens Park before the trip. He has been on the Pars’ radar for some time, so there will be relief from all sides that an agreement is now in the post.

Last term, he spent time at Admira Wacker in a similar arrangement, keeping five clean sheets in nine matches before injury limited his impact.

At 21 years old, the former Tottenham Hotspur man needs regular exposure to senior football; otherwise, his development will stagnate, making this a smart decision from all involved.

Opinion – Less kits and more signing please, Celtic

Celtic today released a brand new third kit and I’m sure it will sell it it’s droves, but many supporters aren’t happy and it’s not hard to understand why…

The new top will cost as much as £75 for adults and with the recent release of two other shirts that’s quite an expense for those who like their replica shirts, not to mention an extra expense for parents who’s kids will be desperate to own one.

That’s a lot of money for the hard working every day man and woman. Folk like myself who have already commit to paying for a season ticket which isn’t cheap despite the present cost of living.

Yes we don’t need to purchase one, but that’s beside the point. We do pour our hard earned money into the club, a club who have recently declared that they have made record breaking profits, and that’s not counting the massive amount that will be earned from the Champions League, with supporters yet again contributing to that with ticket sales, rumoured to be costing around £200 for each season ticket holder, outside the corporate seats.

There’s also the impending sale of Matt O’Riley to Brighton which is expected to a fetch a record amount for the club as far as transfer outgoings go. And we might even lose Kyogo if Manchester City do come calling.

We don’t actually need more shirts, no matter how good they are. We want our hard earned money reinvested in players. So less merchandise and more players please, it’s about time that the club gave the supporters a break.

Heerenveen in advanced talks to sign Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke

Celtic boost as ‘transfer target asking price dropped’

Alvyn Sanches has been linked with a move to Celtic this summer (Image: Getty)

FC Lausanne-Sport have reduced their asking price for Celtic transfer target Alvyn Sanches, according to reports.

It’s claimed the Swiss club have chopped their valuation of the 21-year-old midfielder by £1m.

Brendan Rodgers is thought to be keen on Sanches with Celtic having reportedly held extensive talks over a transfer move, but no formal bid has been made.

The Express claims Celtic have been tracking Sanches for the last 18 months with scouts expecting the player to develop into a top talent.

While several clubs are thought to be interested in Sanches, it’s claimed Celtic have ‘done more legwork than most’ in discussing a possible transfer deal.

The outlet have also stated Celtic would only have to shell out £3m on Sanches, rather than the £4m initial transfer demand.

While FC Lausanne-Sport are under no pressure to sell, it’s thought Celtic would have no issue agreeing personal terms with the player should a fee be finalised.

Ramon Vega previously tipped Sanches to become a £20m player should he make the move to Celtic as a possible replacement for Matt O’Riley.

“Alvyn Sanches is a good prospect, especially for a club like Celtic,” he said. “He is a great talent. I have read that Celtic are in the market for a Matt O’Riley replacement. To fill that void will be very difficult. If Celtic signed Sanches now then he could make them a lot of money in resell value in two to three years.

“If Sanches signed for Celtic now and he did well, I could see him becoming Celtic’s next £20 to £25 million-plus player just like O’Riley.  If he signs for a club like Celtic and plays the way I think he can play then within two years he would be a minimum £20 million player.”

Former Celtic man wants to leave this summer despite £25m transfer

Former Celtic man wants to leave this summer despite £25m transfer

Celtic cut ties with the player just over 12 months ago

Former Celtic winger Jota has informed Al-Ittihad that he wants to leave this summer, according to a report by Al-Jazirah. The attacker has struggled to settle in Saudi Arabia and is now keen to move on in this window and find himself a new home.

The Hoops sold him to his current club last year for a fee in the region of £25million. However, the 25-year-old is already being linked with an exit from the Saudi Pro League.

The ex-Celtic favourite made 29 appearances for Al-Ittihad in all competitions last season and chipped in with five goals. Al-Jazirah’s report claims he has turned down the chance to join a team in the same league as them.

Al-Ittihad didn’t win a trophy last term and it ended up being a disappointing campaign for them. Jota said: “We apologise to the fans for leaving the King’s Cup and the rest of the tournaments. We have to improve ourselves. We will work to correct the results in the upcoming matches. Al-Ittihad is a big club and will return to winning trophies.”

Celtic signed Jota back in 2021 on an initial loan deal before his move to Glasgow was later made a permanent one. He was a real hit during his time at Celtic Park and fired 28 goals in 83 matches altogether, helping them win the Scottish Premiership twice as well as the Scottish Cup and League Cup.

Ange Postecoglou was his manager during his time in Scotland before his exit to Tottenham Hotspur. The Australian boss was able to get the best out of Jota and said: “Jota in his career before he got to us (Celtic) wasn’t going on the trajectory he wanted and he was the one who made the decision to come here and work hard at his game and improve, and he is. He’s constantly improving, like all the group, and that needs to keep happening because there’s more in them, there’s more in him and I’m sure he’s working his way towards that.”

Jota started his career at Benfica and rose up through the academy ranks there. He was a regular for them at various different youth levels before breaking into their B team. The ex-Portugal youth international then went on to play 33 times for their first-team, as well as having a loan spell away at Real Vallodolid in Spain to get some experience under his belt..

Celtic then came calling and he became a key player before Benfica let him leave for good. His future is up in the air right now though with it yet to be known whether he will be sticking around with Al-Ittihad or moving on for a new start somewhere else.

“We are hopeful” – Club official on deal for Celtic player, ‘in discussion’ with Brendan Rodgers’ side

Gustaf Lagerbielke joined Celtic in August 2023, but he struggled for regular game time in his debut season. Brendan Rodgers handed him 576 minutes from 10 games, of which only two of them were from this year.

The centre-back’s contract lasts until 2028, but his future could be away from Celtic Park.

On Tuesday, Fussball Transfers reported Celtic will most likely let him leave this summer. It was also stated SC Heerenveen are very keen and are ahead of KV Mechelen in the transfer race.

The Eredivisie side’s interest in the 24-year-old is backed up by Leeuwarder Courant, relayed by Voetbal Primeur.

It’s claimed Heerenveen ‘are in discussion’ with Celtic to sign the defender on a loan deal. The report makes no mention whether they plan to include an option or obligation to buy.

The Dutch club’s manager, Robin van Persie, currently lacks sufficient options in the heart of the defence. The Celtic player is the ‘desirable’ target for them to bolster the back line.

Heerenveen general manager Ferry de Haan remains hopeful of signing the Sweden international before the window closes.

“It is not a fait accompli yet, but we are hopeful that it will work out,” he told Leeuwarder Courant

“With Pawel Bochniewicz and Sam Kersten, we now have two central defenders. Mateja Milovanovic is still behind that but needs some time. We want to have a good line-up at the back.”

£4.3M Celtic star in transfer exit frame as frustrating spell could end amid Rodgers’ new additions hunt

The defender has had a tough time | SNS Group

He joined Celtic in the last summer transfer window.

Celtic defender Maik Nawrocki is one star who could take their leave from the club by the end of this transfer window.

Having arrived from Poland and Legia Warsaw last summer in a deal believed to be in the region of £4.3m on a five-year deal, Nawrocki’s first year has been a struggle. While some of his performances have impressed, injuries have plagued him and again they struck in a pre-season match with Ayr United earlier this summer.

He has played just 13 times for Brendan Rodgers’ side since his move to Glasgow, with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales the bona fide choices in central defence. Fellow defenders Gustaf Lagerbielke, Stephen Welsh and Yuki Kobayashi have also been linked with exits.

Now Nawrocki’s name is next to be thrown back into the rumour mill, with the Scottish Sun reporting “Maik Nawrocki could also move on.” Boss Brendan Rodgers wants to add more to his squad this summer and the report states he is eyeing “a new central defender and left-back.”

Talk has turned frenzied over star asset Matt O’Riley, who is believed to be in Brighton sights over a blockbuster move to the Premier League. The Seagulls are claimed to stand ready for shattering the Scottish transfer record held by Kieran Tierney’s move from Celtic to Arsenal at £25m in 2019 in order to land O’Riley.

So far, Rodgers has added Viljami SInisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah to his squad. They return to Premiership action this weekend away at St Mirren.

Leicester City transfer news: Foxes ‘monitoring’ Celtic midfielder

Leicester City are reportedly interested in signing Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate this summer.

The 26-year-old has been a key part of the Hoops squad over recent years that has managed to win three straight Scottish Premiership titles.

The latest of those successes arrived during the 2023-24 term under the leadership of Brendan Rodgers, who is a massive admirer of Hatate in the engine room.

The Japan international started 12 matches in the league for Celtic last campaign, scoring three goals and providing four assists as his side pipped Rangers to the Scottish crown.

Since making the switch from J1 League outfit Kawasaki Frontale during the January window of 2022, Hatate has featured on 92 occasions for the Bhoys, finding the net 17 times.

Leicester ‘monitoring’ Celtic star Hatate

According to football editor Chris Wheatley, Hatate’s two-year stay at Parkhead could be coming to an end before the conclusion of the summer transfer window.

The report states that the 26-year-old is attracting interest from top-flight newcomers Leicester, who are looking to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

It is understood that Hatate is keen on a move to the Premier League this summer as he looks to prove himself at the highest level of football possible.

As well as Steve Cooper‘s Foxes, it is believed that the nine-time international has potential suitors in Italy and Spain, although the clubs in question are currently unknown.

Hatate has been the subject of concrete interest already this summer, with title-winning Celtic rejecting an offer for the midfielder from Russian side Zenit St Petersburg.

Where would Hatate fit at Leicester?

Following the £30m move of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea at the beginning of July, a large chunk of Leicester’s transfer business has been centred around bulking up their midfield.

Leaving North London permanently for the first time in his football career, Oliver Skipp has switched from Tottenham Hotspur to the King Power Stadium for £20m.

Representing a more attacking option in the engine room, Facundo Buonanotte has joined Leicester on loan for the season from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Hatate would offer a rounded presence in the midfield for the Foxes, with the Celtic man possessing the ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

Reading FC eyeing loan move for Celtic player

Reading are interested in a potential loan deal for Celtic left-back Matthew Anderson.

This is according to Football Scotland, who believe the defender is available to be taken on a temporary spell for the 2024/25 campaign, as he looks to get more first-team football under his belt.

The Royals are in desperate need of addressing several positions during the summer transfer window, having failed to make a single signing during this window so far.

This is due to their ownership situation, but with a takeover potentially on the horizon at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, they could have the opportunity to strengthen the positions that they need to.

The left-back department needs looking at, as well as the centre-back area, with the departures of Nelson Abbey, Tom Holmes, Tom McIntyre and Zane Monlouis this calendar year leaving them with fewer options in this area.

They may also be keen to bring in another attacking midfield option to compete for a spot in that area, with Harvey Knibbs currently out of action.

However, their wing and striker areas may be higher up on Ruben Selles’ side’s list of priorities for the remainder of the window, with the Berkshire side in need of more quality in the final third.

But by the time a takeover is potentially announced, even if it happens to be today, the club will only have a very limited amount of time to get deals over the line with the transfer window closing on August 30th.

Another factor that will make things for the Royals is the transfer embargo, which restricts them to pursuing free agents and loanees.

Many of their free agent targets are likely to have been snapped up by now – but they could potentially benefit from adding more quality to their squad via the loan market.

Reading FC interested in Matthew Anderson

Despite securing four points from six against Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic this term, the Royals are clearly in need of more depth.

Football Scotland have reported that the Bhoys’ young defender Anderson is on Selles’ side’s radar at this stage.

Anderson is a 20-year-old left-back who is yet to make his debut for his side’s senior team, but has played for their B side and spent last season on loan at Admira Wacker, who compete in the second tier of Austrian football.

Matthew Anderson’s 2023/24 loan spell at Admira Wacker

(All competitions)

Appearances

22

Goals

1

Assists

6

The Royals are currently lacking left-back options, with 16-year-old Andre Garcia currently Jeriel Dorsett’s backup option.

Garcia isn’t a natural left-back and neither is Dorsett, but the latter has been exceptional during the early stages of the campaign following his recovery from an injury.

Matthew Anderson could be a good option for Reading FC

Dorsett (pictured above) has been an excellent option for the Royals in the past 12 months or so.

Managing to adapt to the left-back spot well, he has become better and better in this area.

Also an academy graduate, the fans have really warmed to him and although he isn’t always mentioned, supporters clearly appreciate him at the SCL Stadium.

Garcia, meanwhile, may have done well during the early stages of the season, but another left-back is probably needed before the window closes.

Anderson, who can clearly offer plenty going forward, could be a shrewd addition in Berkshire if he comes in.

But a takeover needs to be done first.

Atletics Man City eyeing outstanding celtic star player…

Manchester City want to sign Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi as a replacement for Julian Alvarez, according to The Athletic.

The Premier League champions have only signed winger Savio so far this summer to bolster their squad, but sold World Cup winner Alvarez to Atletico Madrid in a club-record deal earlier this month worth €95million including add-ons.

Pep Guardiola now wants to replace him to ease the burden on Erling Haaland in attack, and Hoops star Kyogo has emerged as a shock target for the Cityzens ahead of the deadline next week.

Man City Want to Sign Kyogo

City focusing on Gundogan return first

The Japan international has been a mainstay in the Celtic side since he was signed by Ange Postecoglou and has been the top scorer in two of his three full seasons with the club, scoring 73 goals in 135 appearances.

According to journalist Sam Lee, City are considering making a move for the 29 year-old as cover for Haaland but are first focusing on a deal to bring Ilkay Gundogan back to the Etihad Stadium.

The German left the club for Barcelona on a free transfer last summer but has been told by the Catalan club he is free to leave this summer and a return to the blue half of Manchester seems to be edging closer.

Kyogo Furuhashi Scottish Premiership Career Stats

Games

80 (16)

Goals

53

Assists

8

Kyogo Furuhashi is open to the move to the Premier League and there is a belief that personal terms will not be a problem, but City are also eyeing another forward who is younger as a potential option and a deal hasn’t been made yet.

The player has caught the eye of City chiefs and the belief is that he will be willing to come in as a squad player to offer back-up to Norwegian star Haaland, but is also capable of filling a hole in the squad with his quality.

GIVEMESPORT key statistic: Only Lawrence Shankland has scored more Scottish Premiership goals than Kyogo Furuhashi since he joined Celtic in 2021.

Gundogan Set to Return to the Etihad

German will leave Barcelona after just one season

City are closing in on the return of Ilkay Gundogan after just one year to bolster their midfield, after he was told he could leave Barcelona for free just one year after joining.

The Germany international scored twice in the FA Cup final win over Manchester United as he helped the team lift the treble, before leaving when his contract expired for the Camp Nou.

But after the Catalan club signed Dani Olmo this summer, they need to balance their books and Gundogan’s €15million per-year wages are something they want to get off the books. He has been told he can leave without a transfer fee, and Pep Guardiola has told the City board to bring him back.

Gundogan is expected to sign a two-year deal to return, and will compete for a spot in the midfield this season.

Celtic are searching for a left-back this window as Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his ranks before the transfer deadline.

Greg Taylor remains the only senior option on that side of the defence and is now entering the final year of his deal. Both parties have yet to agree on an extension.

Yesterday, we reported that Celtic are prepared to send Matthew Anderson on loan despite his impressive pre-season performances.

Reading are willing to acquire the Scotland Under-21 international for the remainder of the season. With the left-back situation starting to take shape, the Bhoys remain interested in adding to the area.

According to reports, Celtic have enquired about Ajax’s Owen Wijndal. The Eredivisie giants are open to offers for the Netherlands international, who spent last season on loan at Royal Antwerp.

Liverpool’s Owen Beck still remains of interest. The Reds are open to either a permanent deal or a loan switch for the Welshman amid his contract having two years to run at Anfield [Transfermarkt]. New information has come to light regarding his current predicament.

Celtic target Owen Beck sees options narrow

Reports last week suggested that Leeds United and Middlesbrough were providing competition to Celtic for Beck, but it appears one of them has now decided to take a different direction.

According to Teesside Live, the former Dundee loanee isn’t on Michael Carrick’s radar this summer, with work going on behind the scenes at the Riverside Stadium to sign an alternative unnamed left-back target.

In a way, this could narrow the list of competitors Celtic have in the race to sign the AXA Training Centre product. Nevertheless, Queens Park Rangers and other EFL clubs have also been in pursuit of the Anfield talent.

Realistically, this could be one that goes to the wire. The transfer deadline is next Friday, and you would imagine the Liverpool fringe man will take time to mull over his options.

Crucially, there has been no news to suggest Celtic are no longer looking to strike. The Bhoys are in desperate need of depth at left-back, and Beck may be their best bet at this stage in the window.

Manchester City want Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi…

Beck path clears, Lagerbielke silence broken and ‘excellent’ £4.7m deal green lit – Celtic transfer state of play

Brendan Rodgers is set for a busy end to the summer window

Celtic have seen the race to land Liverpool’s Owen Beck narrow with one suitor reportedly dropping out of the race.

The Scottish Premiership champions have been locked in talks over signing the Welsh international that they first tried to land in January following an impressive six-month stint at Dundee – and since then he has remained his on Brendan Rodgers’ wish list for the left-back’s to provide a challenge for Greg Taylor. Liverpool are understood to be willing to sell the 22-year-old as with Beck in the final 12 months of his contract.

The Hoops, Leeds United and QPR have been touted as potential destinations – but Middlesbrough are said to have given up on brining Beck to the Riverside this summer. Teeside Live report that Michael Carrick’s side will “not offer competition” to the list of suitors. While left-back is a key position that Celtic want to strengthen in, a new central midfielder could quickly move up the agenda.

Matt O’Riley is inching closer to a big-money switch to Brighton – and that could clear the path for Tanner Tessmann to arrive at Celtic Park. The 22-year-old was a standout for the club last season in Serie B for Venezia last season – and has already seen moves to Inter and Fiorentina collapse this summer. The latest saw a £4.7m move to Florence fall apart over a disagreement with the player’s agents.

But after being frozen out by the club, the Venezia head coach Eusebio di Fransesco has admitted an exit has already been green lit by the club – should the right offer come in. He told Tuttomercatoweb: “I’ll let the club talk about him.

“Then, if you ask me what I think of him as a player, then I can tell you that he’s an excellent player. At the moment, he’s not part of the project. It’s a discussion to be discussed with the club in which the coach can have a say up to a certain point.”

In terms of outgoings, Gustaf Lagerbielke‘s Celtic transfer exit to SC Heerenveen is “not a done deal yet” according to chief executive Ferry de Haan. With KV Mechelen also chasing a deal for the out of favour Swede, he told Leeuwarder Courant: “It is not a done deal yet, but we are hopeful that it will work out.

“With Pawel Bochniewicz and Sam Kersten, we now have two central defenders. Mateja Milovanovic is still behind them but needs some time. We want to have a good line-up in the centre of defence.”

Rodgers could brilliantly replace Oh with Celtic move for “improving” star

Celtic have enjoyed a strong start to the 2024/25 campaign with three wins in three matches in all competitions, the latest of which was a 3-1 win over Hibernian in the League Cup.

The Hoops were knocked out of the competition at that stage last season but goals from Daizen Maeda (two) and Nicolas Kuhn secured the win for Brendan Rodgers.

Two wins in two games in the Scottish Premiership so far also has the reigning champions top of the table in the early stages, despite the lack of transfer activity from the Bhoys.

Rodgers has only added four players to his squad – Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo, and Adam Idah – and two of those were on loan at Parkhead last term.

Idah is the most recent addition to the playing squad after his £9.5m move from Norwich City was confirmed last week, with an £8.5m rising to £9.5m deal agreed for his services.

The Ireland international spent the second half of last season on loan in Glasgow, though, and Hyeon-gyu Oh – who was part of the squad at the same time – has since moved on.

Celtic’s Hyeon-gyu Oh masterclass

In January of 2023, Ange Postecoglou swooped to sign the South Korea international from Suwon Bluewings for a reported fee of £2.5m to bolster his attacking options, as Giorgos Giakoumakis was set to move to the MLS with Atlanta United.

The young marksman enjoyed a decent first five months in Scottish football with a return of six goals in 16 Premiership appearances during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

After that promising start to life in Glasgow, the hope should have been for Oh to kick on and become a reliable performer for the Hoops in his first full season with the club.

However, the 23-year-old struggled to step up under Rodgers, who replaced Postecoglou last summer, and did not improve on his six-goal return from the previous campaign.

Instead, the Northern Irish boss opted to bring Idah in during the winter window and that left Oh as the third-choice behind the Irishman and Kyogo Furuhashi in the pecking order.

23/24 Premiership

Hyeon-gyu Oh

Appearances

20

Goals

5

Big chances missed

5

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes per game

0.3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed attacker was handed 20 appearances in the division to stake a claim for his place and found the back of the net five times, but failed to provide much in the way of creativity for his teammates.

Despite his struggles on the pitch for the Scottish giants, Celtic played a masterclass with Oh as they managed to sell him on for a decent profit this summer.

Belgian side Genk swooped in to sign the 23-year-old striker for a reported fee of £4.5m – £2m more than the Hoops paid Suwon Bluewings for his services 18 months prior.

Celtic could now brilliantly replace Oh as a third-choice centre-forward by signing a player they are reportedly considering a move for this month.

Celtic interested in free agent marksman

According to Football Scotland, the Premiership champions are one of a number of clubs keeping an eye on free agent centre-forward Aaron Connolly.

The Ireland international is currently without a club, having left Hull City at the end of last season, and this means that they would not have to pay a penny in transfer fees to snap him up.

Football Scotland claims that the Bhoys are monitoring his situation and considering whether or not to make a move for the former Brighton & Hove Albion attacker.

Connolly, who was hailed as “improving” by journalist Josh Bunting last season, had attracted interest from the MLS but their transfer window has now closed.

The report does not reveal who else is interested in signing the 24-year-old striker, though, and so it remains to be seen how difficult it will be to complete a deal for him.

However, Rodgers must now push to land the talented attacker on a bargain free transfer before the end of the window in order to brilliantly replace Oh as the third-choice striker at Parkhead.

Why Celtic should sign Aaron Connolly

Firstly, it would be a bargain move for the Scottish giants because he is a free agent. The club raked in £4.5m for Oh and could potentially replace him with a better player who is also only one year older than the South Korean gem, at 24.

Another thing that Connolly immediately has over the Genk striker is that he is a versatile forward who can play in a multitude of roles for Rodgers.

He has played on both flanks, as a second striker, and as an attacking midfielder in his career, which means that the manager could select him on the flank either side of Idah or Kyogo, or in the number ten position behind them.

So, while he may come in as a third-choice striker on paper that does not mean that his minutes will be heavily restricted, as the 24-year-old star can play in several positions.

His form for Hull City in the 2023/24 campaign also suggests that Connolly does not need to start games on a regular basis to make an impact.

23/24 Championship

Aaron Connolly

Appearances

28

Starts

13

Goals

8

xG

6.62

Conversion rate

20%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland international struck eight times in the Championship despite only starting 13 of his 28 appearances.

This suggests that he is comfortable with a back-up role and has the right mentality to affect matches from the bench, which would make him an ideal signing for Celtic as a rotation option.

The Irish striker, who scored 31 goals in 42 matches for Brighton at U23 level earlier in his career, showcased his clinical nature in front of goal with eight goals from 6.62 xG.

Record fee likely as Celtic consider life without O’Riley

O’Riley is not only a creator but a scorer of goals for Celtic

Speculation about Matt O’Riley’s future has been a daily constant in Scotland’s media all summer after the midfielder helped Celtic to the league title and Scottish Cup Double.

Since Atletico Madrid had an approach rejected in January, it has seemed like only a matter of time before somebody matched Celtic’s valuation for the elegantly influential 23-year-old.

This summer, it has been Atalanta and, most recently, Brighton & Hove Albion, who have been most strongly linked with the London-born Denmark international.

So what has brought him to the brink of a move to the Premier League and how might his departure affect Celtic and any future employer?

Who is Matt O’Riley?

O’Riley (left) last played in English football with MK Dons

A native of Hounslow, O’Riley joined Fulham’s academy at the age of eight, graduating to a first-team debut as a 16-year-old in an EFL Cup win away to Wycombe Wanderers.

However, having made just five appearances, and only one in the league as a substitute, in the three years thereafter, the England youth international rejected the offer of a new contract and joined MK Dons in League One.

With 10 goals in 54 appearances, nearly all of them starts, O’Riley had already shown his goal threat from midfield.

Those performances persuaded Celtic to shell out a reported £1.5m in January 2022 to match his release clause.

Eligible to represent Denmark and Norway via his mother’s side of the family, it only took three months starring in the Premiership for O’Riley to be called up to Denmark Under-21s.

Four years on and he has accumulated three league winners’ medals, two for the Scottish Cup and one for the League Cup as well as vital experience on the European club stage.

What would O’Riley exit mean for Celtic?

O’Riley has formed a great partnership with Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate

O’Riley’s statistics are hugely impressive.

Since arriving at Celtic, he has provided more assists than anyone in the Scottish Premiership, his 29 being six more than Rangers captain James Tavernier.

O’Riley ranks third when combining goals and assists, his 54 involvements only two behind Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland and seven adrift of Tavernier, king of Rangers penalties.

O’Riley (217) is second only to Tavernier (275) and well ahead of the next best, Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong (173) in terms of chances created – and only 10 behind the Rangers man when you only count those from open play.

As for touches in the box, O’Riley outshines any Premiership player, his 555 being more than Shankland’s 498 and well ahead of team-mate Daizen Maeda and Bojan Miovski, the striker sold this month by Aberdeen to Girona.

O’Riley is also fourth best for successful crosses behind Tavernier, Armstrong and former Rangers left-back Borna Barisic – and his 25 goals over the last two years is only bettered by four strikers and that man Tavernier.

Those steadily improving numbers mean O’Riley has possibly now overtaken captain Callum McGregor and Japan’s Reo Hatate in terms of importance to Celtic.

The trio have been central to a scintillating start to this season for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Acknowledging their role last week, the manager said: “In my history as a coach, the dynamic midfield three is always important.

“It’s never about one player, it’s always about the three. And I think that it was probably only into the latter stages of last season that those three came together.

“And I think you’ve seen the flow and the dynamism and how it all makes the team function.”

Rodgers has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to lose O’Riley, while praising the player’s “phenomenal mentality” in blocking out the speculation.

Seeking to bolster his squad ahead of the Champions League, Rodgers is not reliant on funds from any sale of O’Riley.

“I still think we need another player in that position,” he said. “If he was to go, we’d need two more.”

Rodgers has said he doubts whether he could “replace like-for-like” and Celtic would not pay such “big money” on one player.

It looks increasingly likely that it will take an offer north of the club’s £25m record sales for both Kieran Tierney and Jota to prise O’Riley away.

What would O’Riley arrival mean for Brighton?

O’Riley will hope a move will bring more Denmark caps

O’Riley will have been disappointed to have missed out on the Denmark squad for this summer’s Euro 2024 finals.

After handing him a start in their 2-0 qualifying defeat by Northern Ireland in Belfast, then head coach Kasper Hjulmand explained in March that he thought O’Riley had six better midfielders ahead of him.

O’Riley will perhaps think he has a better chance of adding to his two caps now that former Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst has been appointed caretaker boss, but playing regularly in one of the top leagues would no doubt help his cause.

Europa League winners Atalanta had appeared to be favourites for his signature, but after reportedly failing with a series of bids, the Serie A club on Sunday signed Serbia international Lazar Samardzic from Udinese.

Unlike the Italians – and Celtic – Brighton cannot offer European football this season, but they have been investing heavily this summer under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Pascal Gross has joined Borussia Dortmund, Adam Lallana moved to Southampton and fellow veteran James Milner started their season opener against Everton.

Despite an impressive 3-0 away win, the 31-year-old Hurzeler, who led St Pauli to promotion to the Budesliga before becoming the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history, may want more youthful legs in that central area of the park.

He has already signed defensive midfielder Mats Wieffer from Feyenoord. O’Riley, his languid running style being somewhat deceiving given his qualities as a constantly involved, pivotal all-rounder, could be next on the agenda.

With fans’ favourite Billy Gilmour only given eight minutes as a late replacement for Milner, O’Riley’s arrival could mean an exit for the 23-year-old Scotland midfielder, who is reportedly on Napoli’s wanted list.

Deal Done In 24-48 Hours If Celtic Say Yes To Offer For Bhoys Star

Celtic could see one a deal done for one of their players within 24 to 48 hours if there is an agreement on the offer on the table, according to BBC Scotland.

Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers is dealing with a range of transfer issues as he looks to strengthen but also to handle interest in his players.

Celtic have been clear that they will only sell their key men on their terms and clubs have had to play ball or walk away.

The Celtic Park side are coming under big pressure for Matt O’Riley and having rejected a host of bids from Atalanta, are now being tested by Brighton.

Brighton have put an offer of £26m on the table for O’Riley and are waiting to see if Celtic will take it.

If the Bhoys do agree that £26m is enough then it is suggested the deal could be done within the next 24 to 48 hours.

O’Riley could join Brighton quickly if the fee makes sense for Celtic.

A quick resolution is likely to suit Rodgers as he looks to make signings of his own before the transfer window slams shut until January.

The Scottish giants will have to decide though if £26m is enough for O’Riley.

The signing of Kasper Schmeichel put an end to Celtic’s search for the replacement of Joe Hart in this summer’s transfer window.

The big Dane was tied up to a one-year deal with an option to extend it by further twelve months and already he looks like a shrewd piece of business by Brendan Rodgers.

Schmeichel looked solid on the US Tour in the wins against DC United, Manchester City and Chelsea and the Celtic fans believe they already have a new hero between the sticks.

And even though he has played just three domestic games for Celtic, Cameron Carter-Vickers has shared how the Danish international already looks like an ‘unbelievable’ player.

Schmeichel is already looking ‘really good’ for Celtic

The US defender admits that he is enjoying lining up alongside his Celtic teammate and Carter-Vickers has been really impressed with Schmeichel so far.

Carter-Vickers told the Daily Record, “Kasper’s been really good. I think from the minute he came in, you saw his quality.

“I think it’s clear to see that on the ball, he can play with the ball at his feet.

“He probably hasn’t had to make many big saves yet in the league or the Cup game, but I think you saw in pre-season that some of the saves he made were unbelievable, so I’m definitely enjoying playing with him and looking forward to keeping playing with him.”

The 37-year-old keeper looks really calm and assured and a big presence in the centre of the Celtic goal.

Although he did concede against Hibs in the League Cup win, Schmeichel is yet to be properly tested.

That test, however, is coming up at the end of August when Rangers come to visit Celtic Park and if Schmeichel can keep a clean sheet and help Brendan Rodgers collect all three points, he will be go even further up in the Celtic supporters’ estimations this season.

Celtic transfer chances of signing £4.2m star rated as Rangers link to €5m striker set for conclusion

Rangers manager Philippe Clement and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers | Getty Images

Latest Celtic and Rangers transfer news and rumours from this weekend

Celtic are hoping to win the title once again this season.

The Hoops are also eyeing some success in Europe under Brendan Rodgers alongside trophies on the home front. As for Rangers, they want to pip their rivals to top spot and will also be keen for silverware in the domestic cups. Here is a look at some of the latest news and rumours regarding the pair…

Celtic eye target

According to Fussball Transfers, Celtic are showing ‘interest’ in signing Lausanne-Sport winger Alvyn Sanches. The 21-year-old, who is a Switzerland youth international, could be seen by the Hoops as someone to bolster their attacking department.

The France-born man started his career at Lausanne Benfica before joining his current club in 2012. He has since risen up through their academy ranks and was a regular at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team.

Sanches has made 88 appearances in all competitions to date and has chipped in with 14 goals and seven assists. His contract expires in June 2026 so Lausanne-Sport are under no pressure to cash in on him in this window and can wait for the right offer to come in for his signature.

Celtic chances of signing him are rated as ‘not bad’ with a transfer fee at around £4.2m required if they do want to make him part of their squad.

Rangers striker target set to secure move

Rangers-linked Albion Rrahmani is set to join Sparta Prague from Rapid Bucharest. The Ibrox club will have to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements between now and the end of the window if they are still keen to bolster this area of the park.

Rrahmani was reportedly targeted as someone to boost Philippe Clement’s options at the top end of the pitch. However, he appears to have now decided to move to the Czech Republic for a new chapter in his career.

The Kosovo international joined Rapid last year and has since been their key man up top. He fired 18 league goals in 28 matches. Rangers have until the deadline later this month to bring in more players to strengthen their squad.

Millwall seal transfer agreement with Celtic for talented midfielstar

Millwall had already agreed to sign Celtic midfielder January in January, but the Lions and the Scottish champions have thrashed out a deal which will see the teenager move now

Daniel Kelly is set to complete a move to Millwall in the coming days

Millwall are poised to wrap up a deal for Celtic wonderkid Daniel Kelly in the coming days.

The talented midfielder, 18, had agreed terms on a pre-contract agreement to join the Lions on January 1 following the conclusion of his Celtic deal.

But Millwall and the Scottish giants have since agreed terms on a deal which will see Kelly make the move to South London now rather than in five months time.

Kelly, a Scotland Under-19 international, is highly-rated at Celtic and the Scottish champions had hoped to keep hold of him. But the talented teenager rejected a contract offer from his boyhood club, who will now bank a six-figure sum from the Lions.

He was subsequently frozen out of the first-team by head coach Brendan Rodgers and has been playing in the Lowland League with Celtic B, where he’s registered three goal contributions in four games this term.

Kelly, who is set to undergo a medical at The Den early this week, would become the Lions’ fifth summer capture.

Head coach Neil Harris wants more through the door ahead of next weekend’s Championship fixture against Hull City and the Londoners are aiming to add another forward and a winger to their ranks.

Kelly is leaving Celtic after rejecting a contract offer

Harris confirmed that a deal had been done for Kelly earlier this week and described the pacey youngster as an “old-fashioned No.8” with the potential to become a big player.

Harris told The South London Press on Tuesday: “Dan has agreed to join the club. A deal has been agreed and he has signed. He officially joins us in January.

“He is a young player that we think has got huge potential. He is a very good player. When Dan first walks into the building he is not going to be someone that everyone should expect to go straight into the team.

“He is very young but everyone should take heart that they’ve seen Alfie Massey make his debut tonight and it was an outstanding performance. Dan is a box-to-box midfielder, probably an old-fashioned eight, who has great energy. I’d liken him to a young George Saville when he first came into the football club – breaks into the box and scores goals.

“He has got passion and real aggression to his play.”

Matt O’Riley transfer latest as Brendan Rodgers insists star is “really happy”

Brendan Rodgers has said that Matt O’Riley is “really happy” at Celtic and is in no rush to leave the club. The midfielder put in another strong showing as the Celts beat Hibs 3-1 at Paradise to seal their place in the League Cup Quarter Finals.

After the game, Rodgers told Sun Sport that the 23-year-old that he didn’t know if O’Riley would remain at the club beyond the summer but that the player is enjoying being at the club.

“I don’t know is the honest answer. You see with him that he is an incredibly talented player.

“There is a value we have for him, and if that’s not met he will be here – it’s as simple as that.

“He is really happy here, but it has to be something that draws him away.

“I am not overthinking it. We all know the model here at Celtic – players will improve and they will get to a level that get beyond, not the club, but in terms of the financial salary. But until that comes we continue to work with him.”

It appeared that Serie A side Atalanta would be favourites to sign the Denmark Internationalist given that they have the Champions League to offer players, as well as paying big wages.

Atalanta have swooped to sign Lazar Samardzic from Udinese, who is seen as the Tenu Koopmeiners replacement. Reports from Italy suggest that Atalanta have admitted their defeat in the hunt for O’Riley, which opened the door to sign Samardzic.

Atalanta make Cameron Carter-Vickers transfer enquiry

Atalanta have made an enquiry about Cameron Carter-Vickers, a top US source has revealed. The central defender started in Celtic’s 3-1 win over Hibs and is comfortably Celtic’s best central defender.

Larry Henry Jr, who covered Celtic’s Tour of the USA for The Celtic Star, revealed on Twitter/X that an approach was made but no further action followed.

Serie A side Atalanta have inquired about #USMNT and #CelticFC defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, but nothing more than that, source close to the player confirmed.

Besiktas also remains interested. Former U.S. keeper Brad Friedel now part of Board of Directors in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/1vM3tuWojX

— Larry Henry Jr (@lhenry019) August 18, 2024

Atalanta have been sniffing around Celtic this summer, mainly relating to Matt O’Riley but their efforts to sign the Dane have been rebuffed by the club. However, it’s unsurprising that they were impressed by the USA Internationalist.

CCV has been a rock since joining from Tottenham Hotspur, initially on a season-long loan deal. The defender then signed a permanent deal in 2022 before agreeing a new contract back in January, which will take him to the summer of 2029.

Celtic are looking for a partner for the 26-year-old and will not entertain selling the player, who is a key member of the first team picture.

Celtic midfielder, Daniel Kelly, is set to leave the club this week after a fee was agreed with Millwall today.

We discussed this week how the 18-year-old had already signed a pre-contract agreement with the English Championship club after talks to sign a contract extension with Celtic failed.

Celtic had reportedly offered to pay young Kelly £5,000 per week to extend his stay at Celtic Park but the Scotland U19 international refused to sign the deal.

Brendan Rodgers took a hardline stance with the academy graduate and didn’t involve Kelly in any of Celtic’s pre-season preparations this summer.

And now, according to Lanarkshire Live Sport, Kelly is now set to move to the London-based club after Millwall agreed a fee with Celtic.

Celtic set to bank six-figure sum for Daniel Kelly

The report says Celtic are set to bank an initial £400,000 for Kelly with add-ons and that the young Scot is set to hold a medical with Millwall in the next 24/48 hours.

The youngster is in London now and the report also says that Millwall are hoping to have him in early so he can be involved in Millwall’s upcoming English Championship clash with Hull City next Saturday.

The move will end a summer-long series of headlines and speculation regarding the young midfielder and now Kelly can close his Celtic chapter to continue his story down south.

Although it is disappointing to lose a player of his calibre and potential, hopefully, Celtic have managed to negotiate a sell-on clause for Kelly as he does have a bright future ahead of him and was highly rated at Lennoxtown.

Kelly’s transfer will be Celtic’s ninth permanent departure of the summer window after Brendan Rodgers allowed the likes of Bosun Lawal, Sead Haksabanovic and Hyeongyu Oh to leave the club in order to further their careers.

Norwich City: Johannes Hoff Thorup on strker transfer quest

Johannes Hoff Thorup is confident Norwich City will get the right striker in the building (Image: Andy Sumner/Focus Images Ltd)

Norwich City will step up attempts to sign Adam Idah’s replacement ahead of Sheffield United’s Championship visit.

City remain active in the closing two weeks of the transfer market, with a striker top of the list after opting not to sign Turkish forward Bertug Yildirim in the wake of Idah’s Celtic exit last week.

“I don’t think we are there yet, but we are working on some different options for us,” said Thorup, speaking after Saturday’s 2-2 league draw against Blackburn. “So again, I hope it can be before the next game (Sheffield United). You never know.

“In football, it takes more than just one or two parts to agree when it’s a transfer deal. We have to wait and see, but I’m positive that we can bring quality into the group.”

Josh Sargent underlined his value to the cause with a goal and an assist against Rovers, but Sargent is the only fit senior central striker on the books, with Ashley Barnes on the fitness comeback trail, and youngster Ken Aboh poised for a Football League loan.

Thorup insisted prior to the weekend’s draw he is keen to take his time get the best fit for his attacking unit.

“What we discuss at the moment is the type of striker we want,” he said. “Should we go for a striker who would be a like-for-like replacement for Adam? Or should we go for another type of striker?

“Because we have Josh in the building, and he’s the physical, strong number nine, do we want a player who maybe also could cover other positions, where for Josh, and Adam, it was not really natural for them to be on the left or the right hand side?

“There’s actually more options to this. The most important thing for us is that we find the best possible fit for the group. Of course, a player who should be technically strong and needs to have that intensity in his game where he can press and he can run, but there’s many options.

“I know when the window is open everyone can be a little bit impatient and say, ‘Okay, let’s get him in. Let’s get him in’. But end of the day, when we are in October or November, no one will remember this one week or the next two weeks, but everyone will remember if it’s a good or bad choice. So that’s the most important for us.

“We cannot bring in players where they’re not used to being calm on the ball, comfortable on the ball. We’re not going to bring in players that don’t have the intensity to play the game that we want to play.

“To be fair, we have a very strong recruitment department that can find good players with the hunger to come to this club and perform for this club, because this is the best possible step for them in their career.

“There’s a lot of things that go into it, technical, tactical, the personality, where they are in their career, so many things going on. It’s not easy, and it’s not something you just do overnight.”

Celtic midfielder Daniel Kelly to seal Millwall move this week as fee agreed for early release

The 18-year-old had signed a pre-contract but is now set to join the London club ahead of schedule

Daniel Kelly

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Daniel Kelly is set to secure his exit from Celtic in the coming hours after the Hoops accepted an offer from Millwall worth close to £400,000 plus add-ons for his early release.

The 18-year-old penned a pre-contract with the Lions earlier this week ahead of a January move to the English Championship side, and he was set to play out the rest of his contract in the Lowland League with Celtic B.

But Lanarkshire Live Sport – who exclusively revealed Kelly’s move south – understands Kelly is in London and he will likely undergo a medical in the next 24/48 hours.

Millwall are hoping he can be involved in their Championship clash away to Hull City on Saturday.

It has been a frustrating summer for the boyhood Hoops fan after he turned down a new four-year deal with the Scottish champions, understood to be worth £5,000 a week, and he was frozen out of the first team squad by Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers as a result.

An amicable exit now looks to have been sealed after Millwall expected the East Kilbride ace to join in January.

Rangers situation is worse than when they were liquidated as they are cursed by emotional bankruptcy – Hugh Keevins

Lions boss Neil Harris said on Tuesday: “Dan has agreed to join the club. A deal has been agreed and he has signed. He officially joins us in January.

“He is a young player that we think has got huge potential. He is a very good player. When Dan first walks into the building he is not going to be someone that everyone should expect to go straight into the team.

“He is very young but everyone should take heart that they’ve seen Alfie Massey make his debut tonight and it was an outstanding performance. Dan is a box-to-box midfielder, probably an old-fashioned eight, who has great energy. I’d liken him to a young George Saville when he first came into the football club – breaks into the box and scores goals.

“He has got passion and real aggression to his play.”

BREAKING NEWS: O’Riley price skyrockets, Wijndal door open and Sanches pitch – Celtic transfer state of play

It looks set to be busy couple of weeks for Brendan Rodgers in the summer market

Celtic have reportedly told Atalanta that their asking price for Matt O’Riley has been raised.

The Europa League winners have been focussed on the Danish international throughout the summer window with a series of bids being kicked out by tge Scottish Premiership champions. The Serie A side are not the only side looking to snap up the 23-year-old with Brighton and Bournemouth among the English Premier League sides showing interest -while Atletico Madrid and Inter are among the long-term admirers.

Boss Brendan Rodgers has insisted that Celtic are under no pressure to sell – and a clear message has now been sent according to Gazetta dello Sport . It is claimed that the Hoops have told the Italian side that they are now demanding €30million (£25million) plus €5million (£4million) in bonuses with the latest offer from Atalanta offering a €27million (£23million) package for the midfielder.

It is noted that Celtic would “not mind” keeping O’Riley for the season and the star is “tired of the push and pull” over the deal. The report also notes that Atalanta are now looking at alternatives to replace Juventus-bound Teun Koopmeiners while still weighing up their next move in the O’Riley saga.

Elsewhere, Alvyn Sanches has been touted as a potential replacement for O’Riley should he leave this summer. Celtic would face competition from Nice, Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Burnley for the £4.3m rated 21-year-old from FC Lausanne-Sport.

And former Hoops’ star Ramon Vega reckons that the experience he picked up in the Swiss top flight makes him perfect for Parkhead. He told The Herald: “Alvyn Sanches is a good prospect, especially for a club like Celtic.

He is a great talent. I have read that Celtic are in the market for a Matt O’Riley replacement. To fill that void will be very difficult. If Celtic signed Sanches now then he could make them a lot of money in resell value in two to three years.”

Elsewhere, Celtic are reportedly keen on a move for Ajax left back Owen Wijndal as they looking to provide competition for Greg Taylor. And the path was cleared for an exit from the Dutch giants earlier this week.

The 24-year-old was dropped to the B team by Francesco Farioli as he looks to clear the decks this summer. Pressed on if he wanted the defender to leave by podcast Tekengeld, the boss said: “The situation is pretty clear. It’s not just us who want to move on players in the market. It was a very difficult decision for me to put him back in the reserve team but the reality is that they are still Ajax players. We don’t know yet if they left at the end of the window or if they will stay with us.”

Atalanta On the Verge of Completing Major Midfield Signing

Atalanta started talks with Udinese for Lazar Samardzic only a few days ago, and it didn’t take them long to strike an agreement. According to Fabrizio Romano, a decisive breakthrough came on Saturday, with the Serbian midfielder on the verge of joining La Dea.

Gian Piero Gasperini has grown tired of waiting for Celtic to relax their stance on Matt O’Riley. Instead, Atalanta and Udinese opened negotiations for Samardzic’s switch to the Gewiss Stadium during the week and almost instantaneously found common ground, with the former agreeing to pay a fee ‘in excess of €20m plus add-ons’ to sign Samardzic.

Barring another last-minute drama, the 22-year-old could become the new Atalanta player by Monday. New Udinese boss Kosta Runjaic omitted Samardzic from his matchday squad for the opening Serie A round as the Friulians head to Renato Dall’Ara to take on Bologna on Sunday afternoon.

The ex-RB Leipzig man should undergo his Atalanta medical later in the day before penning a contract at the Gewiss Stadium. After his move to Inter collapsed at the 11th hour a year ago, Samardzic emerged as a potential candidate to reinforce Milan’s midfield this summer. However, Atalanta have hijacked Rossoneri’s attempt to land the Serbian.

Samardzic’s wasn’t Gasperini’s first option. Yet, Atalanta couldn’t convince Celtic to sell O’Riley despite lodging four offers for the highly-rated midfielder. Samardzic is a decent fallback option, especially as he boasts a wealth of Serie A experience after three years at Udinese.

Serie A side Atalanta have had a very public pursuit of Matt O’Riley over the last month or so, making as many as five offers for the Celtic player.

The Scottish champions have rejected every single one, setting the bar high on their valuation of O’Riley.

That stance appears to have paid off with reports from Italy indicating they have given up on the midfield star to sign Lazar Samardzic from Udinese.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Samardzic will undergo a medical this weekend before sealing a transfer move worth in excess of €20m.

Atalanta had already offered more than that for O’Riley but fell short of Celtic’s expectations, so have apparently turned their attention to a cheaper player in the same position.

Celtic hardline stance provides hope of an O’Riley stay

The Italians have been the most serious suitors for O’Riley’s signature this summer so if they have indeed pulled out it’s a big moment.

It will spark hope that Celtic supporters get to see O’Riley in green and white for another 12 months, which could be huge for the Bhoys’ trophy chase and European ambitions.

Brighton and other English teams are still lurking, however, so there’s still a chance of a late-August move for the Danish international.

However, even the Seagulls have made a move for attacking option Brahan Gruda in recent days, so the status of their O’Riley pursuit is up in the air, too.

We can’t say for certain we’ll hold on to the 23-year-old, but it certainly looks a little more promising than it did this time last month.

Report: Young midfielder rejects Spurs in favour of a move to another London club

Football Insider claim that Celtic starlet Daniel Kelly has rejected Tottenham’s advances and has decided to join Millwall instead ahead of the new season.

Tottenham have been busy in the transfer market

Spurs have secured a number of talented young players recently, with Lucas Bergvall, Yang Min-hyuk and Archie Gray arriving through the door at Hotspur Way.

According to Football Insider, the Lilywhites also tried to poach another talented young 18-year-old from Scotland but their efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Kelly, who enjoyed a breakout season at Celtic last term, making 28 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ men, was allegedly sought-after by both Spurs and German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Daniel Kelly chooses Millwall over Tottenham

However, the report says that the teenager has snubbed the Premier League side as well as the Bundesliga outfit, deciding to sign with Millwall instead.

The report explains that the central midfielder did this to ensure a quicker pathway to the first-team, with the Scotland Under-19 international hoping to make a mark in the Championship this season.

Kelly will link up with former Tottenham defender, Japhet Tanganga, this season after the centre-back left Spurs on a free to join Millwall.

Spurs Web Opinion

Postecoglou will have likely had some input on Tottenham’s pursuit of Kelly as the Australian would have been aware of the young midfielder from his time at Celtic.

Spurs will likely keep a close eye on the 18-year-old’s progress over the next 12 months ahead of a potential move next summer.

Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Celtic transfer news bulletin as Owen Beck high on wish list, 3 more positions targeted and Kuhn relishes Idah reunion

Owen Beck is still a live option while the Hoops have 3 other positions they want to strengthen

Owen Beck of Liverpool (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Celtic remain on the trail of Liverpool’s Owen Beck.

The Hoops have been in talks over signing the Welsh defender they tired to get on board in January. Beck, who impressed on loan at Dundee in the first half of last season, remains one of the main names on boss Brendan Rodgers’ wish list for the left-back slot. Liverpool could be willing to sell Beck if the price is right although a loan also remains an option for the Hoops. Rodgers is keen to provide a challenge to Greg Taylor at left-back and tried to land Beck in January. But his move was scuppered by then Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp.

The German gaffer recalled Beck from his loan at Dundee at the turn of the year when he faced a defensive injury crisis. Klopp then gave the 22-year-old his Liverpool debut, which meant he could not play for a third club in the season.

Beck, instead, returned to Dens Park but his second spell with Tony Docherty’s side was wrecked by injury. However, Celtic would face competition to land Beck from English Championship sides Middlesbrough and Leeds. Celtic have expressed an interest in Ajax defender Owen Wijndal, who is also a target for Werder Bremen

Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels is also on Celtic’s wanted list but it is more likely to happen if Matt O’Riley is sold. So far no one has come close to his valuation. A winger, left-sided centre half and another striker is also on Rodgers’ wanted list.

Meanwhile Nicolas Kuhn says Celtic want to make amends for their League Cup slip-up last season by lifting the trophy – along with the Treble. The German winger wasn’t at the club when Brendan Rodgers’ men crashed out at the hands of Kilmarnock a year ago.

After arriving in January, Kuhn played his part in the Double as the Hoops won the Premiership and Scottish Cup. But ahead of Sunday’s second-round clash with Hibs at home, the 24-year-old insists Celtic want all three pieces of silverware.

Kuhn said: “There is a lot of motivation within the squad to do well in every competition this season – starting with this one. That’s the target for us. We’re looking forward to going into this game with a lot of energy and hopefully getting a win.”

Celtic have been boosted by the return of Adam Idah, who signed on loan at the same time as Kuhn last season. The Irish striker is back on a permanent deal after a £9.5million move from Norwich City.

He’s set to start against Hibs, with Kyogo Furuhashi injured. Kuhn said: “I’m so happy to see Adam back because we had a good time together last season. We all hoped he would return and it’s great to see him make the move permanently. Adam offers a lot to us. He is a different type of striker and he scored so many big goals in important games for us.

“It’s always good to have more quality in the squad and he is also a big character in the changing room. Adam is fun to be around.”

Kuhn has started the domestic campaign superbly but admits he can’t wait for the Hoops’ Champions League bid to get underway next month. And the former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig wide man said: “There are a lot of great teams we could draw. I wish we could play them all. But it would be nice to maybe play against Leipzig or Bayern Munich, two of my former clubs.”

Hannibal transfer update as Celtic targets wants to leave Man Utd

Rumoured Celtic target Hannibal Mejbri has requested to LEAVE Manchester United, according to reports in Tunisia.

Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal controls the ball against Hannibal Mejbri of Manchester United during a pre-season friendly match at SoFi Stadium on July 27, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The midfielder hit out at his contracted club in an interview last week, demanding more game time and indicating that he would like to seek a move.

It now appears that the Red Devils are willing to let the midfielder leave, but only on a permanent deal, and with his transfer value sitting at around £7.5m, could the deal be off the cards for the Scottish champions?

Last season, he left for Sevilla on loan in January but his spell in La Liga didn’t go as planned. They had an option to buy the midfielder for £20m up front but declined to make an offer after the loanee reportedly got into a bust-up with one of his team-mates.

Since returning to Manchester, he has still been searching for a move. With him failing to make the United squad against Fulham on the opening day of the Premier League season, time looks to be running out if he is to find regular football this campaign.

Celtic reportedly remain interested in the 21-year-old, with theRangers also keen on him. Considering Sevilla were being asked for upwards of £20m in total for a permanent deal just a few months ago, that £7.5m may now look like a fantastic bargain for the Scottish clubs.

United are not interested in sending him out on another loan, as with just a single year left on his contract, they now look to be attempting to cash in before he can leave for free.

Meanwhile, Elena Sadiku says that she is looking forward to being tested in Celtic FC Women’s game against Glasgow City.

Fabrizio Romano – Atalanta sign midfield star, fee in excess of €20m plus add-ons

Keeping hold of Matt while adding a few more faces would see this go down as our most successful window in years.

First things first, we need new signings, a minimum of three new faces is required. A centre back, a left back and a versatile attacker would be ideal and would help us greatly in the challenge ahead this campaign, particularly in Europe.

However keeping Matt O’Riley would prove to be just as important as any new face arriving at Celtic Park. I’m not saying that would excuse a lack of transfer activity from our custodians, as it wouldn’t. We desperately need fresh faces in the squad, and if we managed to do just that and keep Matt it would have to go down as a very successful window, our best in many a year.

Matt is a superb player and will only get better. He’s a vital part of our team and fits well into Brendan’s system and keeping him will only make us stronger in our quest to be successful this season. And by that I don’t just mean domestically, but in the Champions League also.

I’m not saying we will go far in the Champions League, that would be somewhat ridiculous, but maybe just maybe we could compete a little better than we previously have and actually getting through the group stages. That would have to be seen as major progress.

Keeping Matt is just as important in our ambitions of competing in Europe, do just that and add a couple of new faces and things will be looking a little rosier. If the lowballing tyre-kickers from Atalanta have moved onto other targets after having FIVE lowball bids rejected – none ever meeting the asking price – then they have proved themselves to be time-wasters. Not that we are complaining.

Matt can increase his valuation this season by starring in the Champions League for Celtic. That will also get him a move to a bigger club than Atalanta who have won two trophies in total since the early 1960s.

Fabrizio Romano this evening reports that “Atalanta are set to sign Lazar Samardzić! Deal being sealed as revealed earlier today. Fee in excess of €20m plus add-ons as Samardzić will not travel with Udinese this weekend to undergo medical as new Atalanta player.

⚫️🔵🇷🇸 Atalanta are set to sign Lazar Samardzić! Deal being sealed as revealed earlier today.

Fee in excess of €20m plus add-ons as Samardzić will not travel with Udinese this weekend to undergo medical as new Atalanta player. pic.twitter.com/rSifRUUNkw

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2024

Chris Sutton says £11m Premier League deal shows Celtic have secured a bargain

Depending on who you ask, Celtic have either massively overpaid or completed a fine piece of business.

Was nine goals in 19 games enough to justify a potential £9.5 million outlay. One that could make Adam Idah, presuming those add-ons can be met, the most expensive signing in Celtic’s history?

Well, maintain the form of his ‘immense’ first spell at Parkhead and the answer to that question will be a resounding yes. It wasn’t just the sheer number of goals – Idah averaging one-in-two during his loan spell from Norwich City – but the timing of them that made the Republic of Ireland international such a hit north of the border.

Stoppage time efforts against Hibernian and Motherwell. That dramatic last-gasp winner in the Scottish Cup final against Old Firm rivals Rangers. Without Idah’s intervention, a season which ended in two trophies for Brendan Rodgers’ side could realistically have culminated in none at all.

So former Celtic hitman Chris Sutton – who previously described the slow pace of negotiations as ‘baffling’ – is delighted to see Idah return.

Late, after all, is infinitely better than never.

Chris Sutton delighted by Celtic’s Adam Idah deal

“Idah’s return is a major positive,” Sutton tells the Daily Record. “It’s funny seeing some fans complaining about the £9.5 million fee after demanding the Parkhead board open the purse strings all summer.

“I don’t think it’s a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. If you think back to 2000, the deals for the likes of myself, Neil Lennon and John Hartson would be worth about £13 million when you consider inflation.

“If you look at football inflation, I’d cost about £150m these days!”

Sutton does have a point.

Pretty much every club you could think of have broken their transfer record in the last few years. The game has changed considerably, even in the five years since Celtic stumped up £9 million for Odsonne Edouard.

And after banking considerable sums following the sales of Jota, Liel Abada and Carl Starfelt – and with Matt O’Riley potentially on his way too – it is surely only a good thing that The Hoops are reinvesting those funds back into the playing squad.

Sutton also highlights the £11 million fee Ipswich Town are paying for another striker based in England’s second-tier.

Yes, Sammie Szmodics won the Championship Golden Boot last season with Blackburn Rovers. But, five years older than Idah and with considerably less re-sale potential, Celtic’s deal may represent better pound-for-pound value.

“The money paid for Idah is just the market right now,” adds Sutton, who spoke in similarly positive tones about the return of Paulo Bernardo. “Ipswich Town are shelling out up to £11m to Blackburn Rovers for Idah’s Ireland teammate Sammie Szmodics.

“Idah is younger and has more potential. And you have to think (he) would flourish under a manager like Rodgers, who is renowned for developing players.

“You only have to look at the improvement of Matt O’Riley under his charge.”

Idah was hugely important in double win

Sutton, by his own admission, was not convinced by Idah initially. But after watching him dominate defenders in the Premiership and showcase his new-found heading ability, those concerns quickly dissipated.

“I had concerns about him not using his physical attributes,” the former Aston Villa man explains. “But he came up with the answers. It was telling he started the decider down at Kilmarnock last term and it was one of the best all round centre forward performances I’d seen in a long time.

“Kilmarnock are a big, strong, organised team under Derek McInnes. Yet Idah absolutely bullied them. His hold up play and movement was always okay but I felt he made great strides, even in just a few months under Rodgers, especially in the air.

“Look at his thumping header at Motherwell. He scored another cracker with his head for Ireland in the summer. It’s another part of his game he has improved and will keep improving under Rodgers because there is still scope to get better.”

Celtic have started the Premiership campaign with two wins, six goals and a pair of clean sheets. Rodgers’ side face Hibernian in the Scottish Cup on Sunday

Celtic make first enquiry to sign “top-class” ace; club now open to offers

After an excellent start to their Scottish Premiership campaign, Celtic have reportedly continued their search for a new left-back, making their first enquiry to sign an alternative to Owen Beck.

Celtic transfer news

The Bhoys have started their title defence in style, securing an opening-day thrashing of Kilmarnock, before a 2-0 victory over Hibernian. Even after winning two from two, however, Celtic could still strengthen in the remainder of the transfer window, with doubts over Matt O’Riley’s future potentially leading to a replacement in the next two weeks. If one does arrive, they will join Adam Idah in reinforcing Brendan Rodgers’ attack.

Welcoming the forward, Rodgers told Celtic’s official website: “We are delighted to welcome Adam back to Celtic on a permanent basis and we are so pleased that he has agreed this new five-year contract with the club.

“The club has done brilliantly to secure this long-term deal. We are investing in a player of real quality who will be crucial for us over the next few years. He is a player who already has given us so much, performing fantastically for us on loan and really delivering for the club and our fans last season.”

Now, having solved their striker problem, those in Scotland have reportedly turned their attention towards a left-back reinforcement. According to Sky Sports, Celtic have made their first enquiry to sign Owen Wijndal, with Ajax open to selling the 24-year-old, in what could be an ideal alternative to rumoured target Beck.

The Bhoys have been linked with the Liverpool youngster, but given competition from Leeds United in the race for his signature, Wijndal could emerge as an ideal option.

“Superb” Wijndal would be an impressive coup

Now 25 years old, Wijndal should be in the prime of his career and may now get the chance to finally realise his potential courtesy of Celtic. After spending last season on loan at Royal Antwerp, it doesn’t seem as though the Dutchman has a place in Francesco Farioli’s Ajax side, allowing the Bhoys to potentially swoop in and secure his signature.

If Wijndal does arrive, meanwhile, he will have the job of competing against Greg Taylor to earn a place in Rodgers’ starting side in what would be excellent defensive depth. Described as a “top-class left-back” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig back in 2021, those in Scotland have just two weeks to seal an impressive coup.

A defender capable of making an attacking impact, Celtic would be sealing their transfer window in style by signing Wijndal.

Clubs declare interest in signing Celtic star as key Rangers exit backed on one condition

Latest Celtic and Rangers transfer news and rumours this weekend

Celtic are hoping to win the title once again this season under Brendan Rodgers. They are also aiming to do better in Europe.

As for Rangers, they want to pip their rivals to top spot. Here is a look at some of the latest news and rumours regarding the pair…

Celtic boss Rodgers has said winger Mikey Johnston is attracting interest from elsewhere at the moment. The Hoops have a big decision to make regarding his long-term future at Celtic Park.

In this latest update regarding his situation, the manager said: “I’m open at the moment in terms of where things are at. I gave Mikey his debut back when he was 18 and played him so we’ve got a good relationship and we talk openly.

“I think he’s at the stage, Mikey, where he’ll probably want to play more. But he’s worked hard over pre-season and put himself in a really good position. There are some clubs that have shown interest in him, but we’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.”

He added: “He won’t be available for the weekend. He’ll rejoin the training group fairly soon. He had a little problem with his eye socket up a bit deeper back in his face, but hopefully, he’ll be okay fairly soon.”

Johnston, who is 25-years-old, has been on the books at Celtic for his whole career to date. He rose up through the academy ranks of the champions and represented them at various different youth levels as a youngster.

The Republic of Ireland international has made 93 appearances in all competitions and has scored 13 goals. He has also been loaned away to Vitória de Guimarães and West Brom to get game time.

Johnston was a hit with the latter during his temporary spell in England during the second-half of the last campaign. He fired seven goals in 21 matches for the Baggies as they made the play-offs. However, they lost at the semi-finals stage over two legs to eventual winners Southampton and he has since returned to his parent club with his future up in the air now.

Rangers exit verdict

Pundit Leanne Crichton are ‘not in a position’ to sell James Tavernier this summer. The right-back has been a key player at Ibrox over recent years but has been linked with an exit in this window.

Crichton has delivered her verdict on the player on The Go Radio Football Show: “The chat around James Tavernier for example has gone quite quiet. There was a lot of chat about whether he would move on or not, can you imagine before the end of the transfer window that Rangers sell James Tavernier as well?

“At a point where the players on the pitch are not quite good enough and the players that are on the bench are not fit and available, the players that are sidelined don’t appear to be back anytime soon and then you’ve got a player in James Tavernier who’s always fit, always available and always on the teamsheet.

“You can see it happening because that’s the type of decision that would not surprise you at Rangers just now. They’re not in a position to sell him, but they would sell him perhaps to take the money into the club.”

Atalanta admit Matt O’Riley transfer defeat as Italians ‘lose patience’ over Celtic star pursuit

The Serie A side identified the Hoops star as their top target but are said to have now given up

Matt O’Riley

Atalanta have reportedly finally admitted defeat in their bid to land Celtic midfield star Matt O’Riley with the Serie A side said to be on the verge of concluding a deal for their alternative target, Udinese’s Serbia international Lazar Samardzic.

The Italians made FIVE bid for the former Denmark international with the most recent said to be in the region of £23million but the Parkhead side are holding out for more than that. That has seen the Europa League champions “lose patience” with Parkhead powerbrokers and end all interest in the 23-year-old former MK Dons star.

A report on Football Italia claims Atalanta “have decided to drop Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley and instead can conclude their swoop for Udinese and Serbia international star Lazar Samardzic”. O’Riley had been Atalanta’s first choice to replace Juventus-bound Teun Koopmeiners. Samardzic, at 22 – a year younger than O’Riley – is well known to the Bergamo-based club given his time in Serie A.

Samardzic is said to have been left out of Udinese’s squad for their league opener against Bologna with a move imminent. The initial fee is reported to be in the region of £17m but will rise to £23m with various add-ons, making him a cheaper option than O’Riley.

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Rodgers defends Idah price tag and hails ‘great deal’ for striker 

Ireland frontman has re-joined Celtic from Norwich for a fee reported to be worth £8.5million with the potential to rise by £1million more

GOT HIS MAN: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers (left) gives instructions to Celtic’s Adam Idah (centre) during the cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Pic: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic secured a “great deal” with the purchase of Adam Idah as he thanked the board for showing faith in his call.

Idah has re-joined Celtic from Norwich for a fee reported to be worth £8.5million with the potential to rise by £1million more, after hitting nine goals in 19 matches on loan including a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final winner.

The figure puts Idah’s transfer in a similar bracket to the club-record fee paid for Odsonne Edouard in 2018 during Rodgers’ first spell in charge.

Many Celtic fans had been concerned over the club’s summer transfer business, which has now seen them replace Joe Hart with Kasper Schmeichel and bring back Idah and Paulo Bernardo following loan spells.

But questions have now been raised over the fee paid to the Canaries.

Rodgers said: “You can never win, can you? I mean, ‘you don’t spend money’, you do spend money, ‘you spend too much’?

“We’ve got a great deal. I know the player that we have here and for me it’s just a case of just getting him moving in the direction that I believe he can move in. He has all the talent, he’s 6ft 3in, quick, strong, his touch is good, he can score goals and he has big moments in big games.

“For me there’s still areas that he can improve on, of course and as a young player that’s what you’d expect, but I really think that whatever money we paid for him, he’s worth every single penny of it. And he’ll demonstrate in the next 24 months that he will be worth a lot more than that.

“I wanted to do everything I could and I thank the board for reaching out and getting Adam here because I think he can really flourish.”

Rodgers had stressed the need for quality over quantity after returning to Celtic last summer while recruitment plans were in place that saw eight players arrive. None of them started in the cup final or in the opening two matches of this season.

“It’s just the attitude to risk,” Rodgers said. “You can sign a player for one, two million pounds, fine. And you might sell them for £10million. But you can sign a player for seven or eight, maybe sell them for 30 to 40.

“It’s the same thing but it’s really trusting the process and trusting a team of people that can work very, very hard and then allowing you to get the players in.

“For example, if you spend £18million and you spend it on nine players, I would hope there’s a possibility to spend £18million on three players.”

Celtic remain in the hunt for new players and their plans will not hinge on the future of Matt O’Riley, who remains the subject of serious interest from Atalanta.

Rodgers said: “We don’t want to lose Matt O’Reilly. But still, we need to strengthen in certain areas. And we have the resource to do that. So, selling players won’t determine what we can bring in.

“The guys here have absolutely been brilliant and as we’ve moved on and connected, it’s been great. But you always have to look to improve.

“Not only that, there are some gaps in our squad where we’re light in terms of numbers, and cover and competition. So, that’s what we have to work very hard to try and achieve by the end of the window.”

Celtic will make a late decision on the fitness of Kyogo Furuhashi for Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup tie against Hibernian after the Japanese striker suffered a shoulder problem in last week’s league win at Easter Road. Mikey Johnston will miss out with a facial injury.

Why Idah’s homecoming for Celtic could bring League Cup home

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 23: Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers shakes hands with Adam Idah during a Celtic training session at Lennoxtown Training Centre, on May 23, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) (Image: Craig Williamson – SNS Group)

All eyes will be trained on one man this weekend at Celtic Park.

For once it won’t be Kyogo Furuhashi or Matt O’Riley or even Brendan Rodgers himself. Nope, that honour belongs to the £9.5 million man Republic of Ireland and Celtic striker Adam Idah. It’s official Idah is a Celtic player. Did anybody ever doubt, he would be? O ye of little faith.

Idah’s long-awaited homecoming will take place on Sunday at Parkhead against Hibernian in the League Cup as Rodgers’ men go in search of the one piece of silverware the club meekly surrendered last season at the first time of asking in a horror show at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock.

An injury to Japanese talisman Kyogo had the Celtic supporters running around with their heads on fire last weekend, especially after his replacement Mikey Johnston also left the field injured. The 23-year-old attacker is at long last in the building ready to pick up from where he left off last season after his nine goals from January onwards propelled Celtic to a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double.

Never fear, Idah is here.

Rodgers said: “As if by magic! I’m absolutely delighted. People talk about transfer fees and everything else – this is a guy who paid that last year. I’m delighted for him because I think that he’s got huge potential and he showed that last season.

“I was so relaxed when he signed because I knew what his talent was. What you never know sometimes in recruitment is mentality. I think what I have seen in my time here is that he proved to me that he has that big-club mentality. I wanted to do everything that I could – and I thank the board for reaching out and getting Adam here – because I think that over the next two to three years he can really flourish and show all of the quality that he has.

“He’s in an environment where he will improve, he’s shown he can deal with pressure in big moments and I’m really excited for him and for the supporters and team. We’ve got someone back who can help us going forward.”

The player revealed that the humungous transfer fee won’t be an albatross around his neck. His manager feels the same. Rodgers believes that Idah has already repaid the multi-millions by scoring the goals that guaranteed Celtic entry into the Champions League league phase proper. Now Rodgers can’t wait to see what value will be placed upon the players in two years. He also reiterated his plan to have two number-one strikers occupying the number-nine role for Celtic.

Horses for courses? You best believe it. The Irishman said: “You can never win, can you? You don’t spend money, you do spend money or you spend too much money. We’ve got a great deal, and I know the player that we have here. It’s just the case of getting him moving in the direction that I believe he can get to.

“He has all the talent, 6 foot 3, quick and strong, his touch is good and he can score goals. Like I said, he has big moments in big games. For me, there are still areas where he can improve, of course, but you expect that as a young player. I do think whatever money we paid for him, he’s worth every single penny of it. He’ll be worth a lot more than that in 24 months.

“I’ll make it clear that I see both of them as number-one strikers. Kyogo in his time here has been brilliant, he has started the season really well. You cannot rely on someone to play to the highest level 55-60 games a season. We want to go deep in as many competitions as we can. That will take us to that number of games. You can’t have just one striker to do that.

“I felt that I wanted another guy who I could call a number-one striker. That’s what I feel I have, it just depends on the game, the energy, the team and the circumstances around the fixture list. Having those two is a big asset for us.”

Idah’s capture is a sure-fire sign yet that the club means business. Yet as the August 30th transfer deadline looms Rodgers insists there is still so much to do. It’s all about the risk and reward for the Irishman. He revealed that he is targeting signings in the Idah and Nicolas Kuhn ilk as they have speed and power which is vital for the club if they are going to be successful in the new Champions League format.

The 51-year-old explained: “I think for supporters and you look at it from their perspective then what they want from the club is two things. One, is your club well run? So, there is no doubt that Celtic is super well run as a club. The organisation is very good. Two, supporters want to have the best team possible on the pitch. That allows them to skip back to each game and be really excited about watching their team.

“I always think that’s the challenge. That is our challenge. To get to the end of this window and have the very best team that we can possibly have on the field. That’s what we want. That’s what the Celtic supporters want. Hopefully, we can do that. I say hope, I want us to be able to do that.

“It is the attitude to risk. You can sign a player for one or two million and you might sell them for 10 million. You can buy a player at seven or eight million and sell him for thirty or forty million. It’s the same thing. It is all about trusting the process and the team of people who work really hard and allow me to get the players in. The Celtic supporters are deserving of that.

“What they invest worldwide in this team in terms of merchandise and everything is incredible. It is our duty to try and get the best team we possibly can on the field. That inspires them to come and watch their team. That’s what we try to do with the style of football that we play but that will always be elevated by the level of player that you have. That is our notion over the final weeks of the window to look to have a really strong team.

“I think I’ve said before but, for example, if you spend £18 million, and you spend it on nine players, I would hope there’s a possibility to spend 18 on three players. Our model is to bring in young players to develop and improve, but you can bring young players in to develop and improve but at a higher level and then you know a little bit more of what you’re getting maybe and there’s maybe a higher ceiling. You might be able to bring in one more or two more at that level. I think we can do that, it’s just about getting the right player.

“If you look at Adam (Idah) and Nicolas Kuhn in particular then two of the key attributes they possess are power and speed. At that level, it is very important. You can have all the tactical ideas in the game and whatnot but at that level speed and power alongside the technique. That is certainly some of the attributes we would look at in the players we bring in.”

The one blip on Celtic’s campaign last season was the concession of the League Cup trophy on that fateful August day at Rugby Park. Rodgers’ Celtic have come a long way since then. A very long way. It still irks him though that the club coughed up a piece of silverware that shattered his unblemished record of never having lost in a cup competition during his spells as Celtic boss.

Rodgers said: “We were disappointed last season and I think I mentioned it before from my first season I sort of had a ball and chain wrapped around me in terms of winning trophies and everything else. That probably allowed us to break free from that in an indirect way even though we would love to have won it.

“Certainly from that point, we have progressed and developed. The team is in a much better place now. My compass is always looking at training. I look this season at how we’ve been training and how we’ve been working and we’ve been able to take that onto the games.

“This is the next game and it is the most important one. We want to get through. There is no doubt, I’ve always said it and we should set that mentality and target that we want to win every trophy. That is something we know we have to work very hard to do. That starts on Sunday.

“I enjoyed winning the League Cup the first time I was up here. It brings a nice edge early on in the season rather than having to wait until later on in the campaign to win trophies. I thought it was really good. It is an opportunity for you to get your hands on a trophy and be a great part of the history of this club. We want to challenge in every competition that we are in. This is our first one here and I am excited by it.”

Rodgers wants the League Cup trophy to come back home. A glorious debut from Idah on his Celtic Park second homecoming on Sunday could very well see that reality move a step closer.