Celtic
Boyd aims brutal Celtic vs Rangers title dig at Lennon
Boyd aims brutal Celtic vs Rangers title dig at Lennon
Kris Boyd has aimed a brutal dig at Neil Lennon over his unwavering confidence that Celtic will triumph in the title race.
The former Rangers star insists Lenny would know all about a team not having the mentality to win the league – given it’s only a few years on since his Hoops side bottled their 10-in-a-row bid.
Philippe Clement has already publicly said that Lennon’s dismissive attitude toward his side has spurred them on.
And Boyd reckons his old club have got what it takes to take the champions right to the wire.
“So Neil Lennon says Rangers don’t have the mentality to win the title,” the pundit wrote in his Scottish Sun column. “I suppose he should know — it was only a few years ago his Celtic side bottled ten-in-a-row.
“They should have been out of sight of Steven Gerrard’s team that season. But when push came to shove, they blew it.
“But right now at this moment in time, Rangers are very much in the title race.
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“Okay, they have failed in some big games this season and have deserved criticism for that. There was a reason why Michael Beale was sacked.
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“But this Rangers team have given themselves an opportunity to win the league under Philippe Clement through their grit and determination to claw their way back into it.
“Of course, Lenny is entitled to his opinion. But for me, it’s far too easy to question the mentality of the Rangers team given how they have responded since the appointment of Clement.
“No, Rangers aren’t going anywhere in this title race. Those words might come back to bite me on the backside, and it’ll need to be some chuck to get into my sizeable derriere. But I see real signs of improvement under Clement.
“Had you looked at the league table a few months ago certain people may have thought it was already done and dusted. But this league ain’t over.
“The next few days could be huge for both clubs in terms of who comes in and who leaves.
“But I think it’s interesting that Celtic have slapped a Not For Sale sign on Matt O’Riley.
“That speaks volumes. If Celtic were as confident as Lenny of winning the title surely they’d take the £20million on the table.
“In the past, they would have grabbed the money without a second’s thought.”
Liel Abada on Celtic ‘not for sale’ list as Brendan Rodgers reiterates stance on winger
Reports had been linking the winger with clubs down south
Liel Abada
Liel Abada has joined Matt O’Riley on Celtic’s ‘not for sale’ list as Brendan Rodgers reiterated his stance on the winger.
Some reports had linked the Israeli with several clubs in England who were said to be chasing a loan deal. But Rodgers had been clear earlier this month that he did not want to lose the 22-year-old and after being quizzed on it once again, has repeated that.
He explained: “There’s nothing on Liel. I know there has been stories generated for whatever reason around him, probably trying to second guess what has been going on with Liel. It’s very, very simple. Liel was out injured for a long period of time, he has gone back in, and again he is a player I am excited to work with, that I can improve. He’s a player that I spoke to very early on, and he comes to me and we speak, and his focus is very much on being here at Celtic and developing.
CELTIC MISS OUT AS PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB CONFIRM ‘EXCITING’ £2.6M CAPTURE
Scottish champions Celtic have officially missed out on Iceland goalkeeper Hakon Rafn Valdimarsson with Brentford confirming his £2.6 million move to the Premier League outfit.
Just two days after Horatiu Moldovan joined Atletico Madrid, another talented shot-stopper linked with a move to Parkhead has put pen to paper elsewhere.
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Hakon Valdimarsson reportedly caught Celtic’s eye during a superb end to 2023 with Elfsborg and Iceland, one particularly eye-catching performance against Portugal in the European Championship qualifiers doing his reputation no harm at all.
But, after also missing out Moldovan and with Valdimarsson doing what HITC Football said he would, The Hoops will have to turn their attention elsewhere as they scour the market for a potential, long-term Joe Hart replacement.
Brentford sign Elfsborg goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson
Portugal V Iceland: Group J – UEFA EURO 2024 European Qualifiers
Photo by Alex Nicodim
“I’m very, very happy that we’ve managed to sign Hakon; there was competition from a lot of other clubs, including some in the Premier League,” Bees boss Thomas Frank smiles, Aston Villa reportedly submitting an offer of their own before Brentford agreed a deal worth just shy of £3 million.
“We are growing as a club, and we have proven that we make players better. Hakon is an exciting keeper. He is good at dominating his box, claiming crosses from set-pieces and in open play. His distribution is also at a high level. He fits the way we want to play, which is very important.
“Hakon is coming in to strengthen our goalkeeper group and to compete.”
Celtic looking for Joe Hart replacements
It remains to be seen what Valdimarsson’s arrival means for Tomas Strakosha and Mark Flekken, currently Frank’s second and first-choice goalkeepers. Neither has really succeeded in filling the void created by David Raya’s departure to Arsenal last summer.
Valdimarsson arrives in West London after winning the Goalkeeper of the Year award for his stellar performances in Sweden’s top-flight.
The aforementioned Moldovan, meanwhile, secured his move to the Spanish capital a few days ago. That paved the way for Atletico Madrid to send Ivo Grbic to Sheffield United, The Blades landing the one-time West Brom target for £2 million.
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USMNT defender Carter-Vickers signs new Celtic contract
Cameron Carter-Vickers appears to be at Celtic for the long haul.
The Scottish giants announced on Friday that the U.S. national team defender had signed a new contract with the club through 2029.
The move comes amid reports that several Premier League clubs were looking at Carter-Vickers as a January reinforcement. Record Sport reported earlier this month that West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Brentford were eyeing a move for the former Tottenham defender.
Carter-Vickers has become a mainstay with Celtic since his arrival in 2021, making 101 appearances and winning two league titles, two League Cups and one Scottish Cup.
“I am really delighted to sign this new contract with Celtic. I have loved everything about the club from day one and I am so pleased to have been part of some real successful times across the last few years,” the 26-year-old told Celtic’s website.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers added: “This is great news for us all that Cameron has extended his contract with the club.
“He has been an absolute rock for us since he joined the club and has played to such a high standard so regularly, week in, week out.
“He has been such a pillar of strength in our defense and a real leader in the team – I know he is held in such high regard, too, by his teammates.”
Carter-Vickers has been capped 16 times by the USMNT, including one start at the 2022 World Cup.
Cameron Carter-Vickers to sign new Celtic contract this weekend
Cameron Carter-Vickers to sign new Celtic contract this weekend
Cameron Carter-Vickers during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and SS Lazio at Celtic Park
on October 04, 2023 Photo GreigCowie Sport APL
Great news today on Cameron Carter-Vickers who is scheduled to sign a new contract extension with Celtic this weekend. And Celtic have reportedly knocked back an approach from an unnamed Qatar club for the United States defender, who is so crucial to this Celtic team.
Cameron Carter-Vickers shakes hands with Joe Hart after the victory in the Scottish Cup Semi Final match between theRangers and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 30, 2023 .
The information comes from American football writer Larry Henry Jr and he has been accurate on CCV news from the time Celtic were looking to bring him to Glasgow and ever since.
There has also been interest in this transfer window from south to the border with the likes of West Ham, Brentford and Nottingham Forest looking to sign Celtic’s Big Strong Man.
Cameron Carter-Vickers though is this weekend set to become the latest member of the Celtic squad to sign a long term contract extension with the club and that is absolutely brilliant news.
Brendan Rodgers last week spoke about how much Cameron and his parter love living in Glasgow and CCV relishing playing for a significant club like Celtic.
After a number of years moving from club to club with a series of loan moves from Tottenham, it looks like Cameron Carter-Vickers is content having found a home and the ideal place to play his football at Celtic Park.
Cameron Carter-Vickers during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Hibernian FC at Celtic Park on December 06, 2023.
Hopefully he’s back in the side tomorrow afternoon against Ross County at Celtic Park where he’s sure to get an outstanding ovation from the Celtic support who just love our Big Strong Man.
Source: An unnamed Qatar club made a late enquiry to acquire #USMNT defender Cameron Carter-Vickers from Celtic this window, however the centerback will remain with the SPFL leaders and is expected to sign his new deal by weekend’s end. pic.twitter.com/MuLR9hjkKK
— Larry Henry Jr (@lhenry019) January 26, 2024
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Done Close Progress: Celtic now close to new deal with “special” hoops player in new twist…
Done Close Progress: Celtic now close to new deal with “special” hoops player in new twist Parkhead talent
It’s been quite the turnaround after extensive interest earlier in the window.
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Celtic youngster Rocco Vata has been attracting significant interest from Italy this month, with Serie A side Bologna and second-tier outfit Como FC both making enquiries about a potential deal.
As he approaches the expiry of his current contract at the end of the season, Vata had looked set to leave the Scottish Premiership leaders – Celtic had even give him permission to seal a move away this month.
However, in a surprise twist, it then emerged that Brendan Rodgers’ side had initiated talks over a new deal players’ agency, CAA Base, in the hope of extending his stay in Glasgow.
Vata is believed to be keen to remain with the club, provided he’s shown a suitable pathway to the first-team, and now there’s been a further update on Celtic’s efforts to tie him down.
Celtic close in on Vata agreement
According to Football Insider, Celtic are now “close to agreeing a new deal with Vata”. They have made progress over the last 48 hours, and there’s now optimism that he will put pen to paper on fresh terms.
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The agreement with Vata would be a shock after he was told he could leave and held talks with potential suitors, but there’s now a very real chance that it comes to pass.
“Special” Vata could be long-term star
Writing in 2022, Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig named Vata as part of a generation of young Irish talent who could go on to achieve something “special” during their careers.
He’s certainly justifying the hype for Celtic’s B-team this season, scoring 12 goals in 15 Lowland League appearances to rank joint-fifth in the competition’s leaderboard. What’s more, only one player above him – Hearts’ Makenzie Kirk (1.3) – can better his record of 0.8 goals per match.
Overall, he’s scored 23 in 34 appearances for the reserve outfit, form that’s inevitably caught the eye of key figures at Celtic. He became the 11th-youngest player in the club’s history when he made his debut as a 17-year-old in December 2022, and their 12th-youngest goalscorer when he found the net as a substitute in a 5-0 win over Highland League side Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup last weekend. That was just his fifth appearance for the Hoops, so it hasn’t taken him long to make an impact.
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At the international level, meanwhile, Vata earned a swift debut for Ireland’s under-21 side in September, and made a big impression by scoring twice in a win over San Marino. It wouldn’t be remotely surprising if he became a key player for the boys in green in years to come.
Based on earlier reports, we can only assume that Celtic have now made certain promises to Vata regarding first-team opportunities.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him feature in Rodgers’ matchday squad in the Premiership on a few occasions between now and the end of the season, an opportunity he’s been denied up to this point.
Ex-Sunderland man’s potential Celtic or Rangers switch ‘impossible’ as Leeds United face decision
Former Sunderland man Joe Gelhardt will not be on the move to Scotland during the window.
Former Sunderland loanee Joe Gelhardt remains unlikely to leave Championship club Leeds United during the January transfer window, according to reports.
The 21-year-old was signed by the Black Cats on loan from Leeds United last January when it was thought he’d play just behind Ross Stewart as a number 10 but struggled to catch fire at the Stadium of Light.
Stewart suffered a season-ending Achilles injury just a day after Gelhardt’s arrival on Wearside, meaning the Leeds forward was asked to lead the line for Sunderland. The youngster chipped in with six-goal contributions in 20 Championship matches for the Black Cats.
Gelhardt returned to Leeds United during the summer after the club’s relegation to the Championship. Since then, Daniel Farke has taken the reins at Elland Road and the young attacker has struggled for game time, featuring just five times in the league.
However, reports from our sister title, the Yorkshire Evening Post, state that Gelhardt’s camp are under the impression that there is currently ‘no chance’ the forward moves out on loan during the January transfer window.
The player has been linked with a temporary stint with Rangers and Celtic but either of these scenarios are ‘impossible’ because it would count as an international loan and Leeds United cannot sanction any more of those.
Speaking ahead of last weekend’s win over Cardiff City Leeds United boss Daniel Farke said: “Joffy [Gelhardt] is a proper part of our group and has played several games and minutes, and at the moment the group is definitely not too big and at the moment I am not tempted to give any more players away.
“Now we want to keep more or less the group and strengthen the squad, we are not tempted to give players away, also not in offensive positions. Perhaps it is different situation at the end of January but right now we’re happy Joffy has returned back to team training and is also available for the game at the weekend.”
Leeds United defender Charlie Cresswell, who has previously been linked with Sunderland several times during recent windows, has also been mentioned as a player who could leave Elland Road during the winter window, with former loan club Millwall thought to be keen.
CELTIC have made enquiry about Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardtby stevenmangan19 January 2024
Celtic are looking to bolster their forward department and have enquired about Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt, according to transfer expert, Dean Jones.
The Bhoys have had a mixed campaign so far and Brendan Rodgers will be looking to sculpt the squad to his taste.
The Hoops are leading the Scottish Premiership table by eight points, but the gap could be closed down to two points only if Rangers win their game in hands.
While Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi have impressed this season, Rodgers will be worried about the inconsistent form of some of the other forwards.
He will looking to add one more attacker to the ranks, and has earmarked Gelhardt as a potential option.
The likes of West Bromwich Albion and Scottish rivals Rangers are also keen to sign the “excellent” attacker who is on £15k-per-week deal at Elland Road.
Jones suggests that Celtic will probably look to sign him on loan.
“I guess it’d be a loan move. Gelhardt would be a nice profile player because he seems ready to perform on the right platform,” Jones told GiveMeSport.
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“He’s got excellent traits that probably need a bit of development now. I’m not surprised that enquiries are being made on both fronts from Rangers or Celtic at this moment in time. For a player like Gelhardt, it’s probably confidence-boosting to have those conversations happening around you right now. Whether they can come to fruition and turn into a transfer is different, but I don’t think it’s harming anybody to look at that situation.”
Celtic have already bolstered the squad this month by signing Rapid Vienna winger Nicolas Kuhn, who arrives at Parkhead for £3m. However, Gelhardt would be a cracking signing.
The Leeds attacker has managed only two starts in the Championship this season. When Gelhardt first arrived on the scene under Marcelo Bielsa, the club didn’t want to sign new strikers mainly because they feared that it might hamper his growth.
He still remains as someone with bags of potential but has been below par under Farke. A move to Celtic Park could be ideal for his growth.
Celtic braced for O’Riley bid, Rangers star submits transfer request, Hearts ace pens new contract, Hibs eye second signing – rumour mill
The latest January transfer news and speculation swirling around the Scottish Premiership
Celtic’s Matt O’Riley is a reported target for La Liga leaders Girona.
Hearts ace pens new contract
Alan Forrest has signed a new contract at Hearts until the summer of 2026.
The 27-year-old winger, who was signed from Livingston in the summer of 2022, has made 18 appearances this season, registering two goals and two assists.
Sporting director Joe Savage revealed Hearts are “in discussions” with a players approaching the end of their contracts, including top scorer Lawrence Shankland. Savage said: “It’s a big boost to get Alan’s future sorted.
He’s a popular player in the dressing room and with the coaching staff, so for him to commit his future to Hearts is very positive.
There are, of course, a few players approaching the end of their contracts and we’re currently in discussions with them about extending. I’d like to think we’ll have some more positive news on that front soon.”
Aberdeen manager Barry Robson is confident Duk will not be sold in January despite rumoured interest in the forward.
Reports claimed an offer had been rejected from Swiss side Young Boys while Serie A and Eredivisie sides have also been credited with an interest in the former Benfica star.
Robson said: “Am I confident he’ll be here beyond the end of the month? Yeah, I think so. You’ll always get talk and rumours, but nbbody has phoned me.
Until there’s something concrete there’s nothing for us to worry about or think about. f it happens we’ll see where it goes, but at the moment we’ve not heard anything.”
Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes believes Greg Stewart’s eagerness to return to Rugby Park will ensure he can hit the ground running.
Killie won the race to sign the 33-year-old forward and he could feature against former club Dundee in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth round in Ayrshire on Saturday if paperwork is completed in time.
Stewart scored eight goals in 16 appearances for Killie in the first half of the 2018-19 season before joining McInnes at Aberdeen in another loan move from Birmingham.
He is now back at Kilmarnock on a deal until the end of the season after spending two-and-a-half years in the Indian Super League, most recently with Mumbai City.
McInnes told his club’s website: “We are delighted to get Greg in, his eagerness to come and be a part of what we’re trying to do here is a big factor.
He now joins the squad and will try and help us reach our objectives for the rest of the campaign.
The fact he’s been at the club before means there’s a familiarity about it, he will fit right in.
We are looking forward to try and get that impact we know he can bring for the rest of the season.”
Rangers star submits transfer request
Ridvan Yilmaz has informed Rangers of his desire to leave the club in the January window, according to a report.
The left-back, 22, is at the centre of ongoing transfer speculation with both Hellas Verona and Galatasaray launching bids for the Turkish international who was signed for around £5m from Besiktas 18 months ago.
Turkish journalist Osman Şenher has claimed the player’s preference is to move back to his homeland, and that he has informed Rangers manager Philippe Clement of his desire to leave Ibrox this month. Clement recently stated, however, the Yilmaz will not be sold unless the club can source a replacement.
Hibs eye second signing
Hibs completed thier first signing of the January window on Thursday with the loan signing of winger Myziane Maolida from Hertha Berlin.
Now he could be joined by ex-QPR midfielder Luke Amos, according to a report. The 26-year-old has been without a club since leaving the English Championship side in the summer at the end of an injury-blighted spell.
He has been back training with Tottenham, where he was once an academy player, and could be given a chance to resurrect his career at Easter Road with the Daily Record claiming that Hibs will offer him a chance to win a deal. Amos is a defensive midfielder who played 60 times for QPR across three seasons.
Celtic braced for O’Riley bid
Celtic’s Matt O’Riley is continuing to attract interest – with one club set to make their move this month. Sky Sports claim that Girona are keen on signing the 23-year-old midfielder and that the current La Liga leaders are preparing to submit a bid before the January window shuts.
The report also claims that another big club from Spain, and a English Premier League club, are showing an interest in the Denmark international, who has 10 goals and 10 assists to his name this season. O’Riley has four years left on his Celtic contract and would likely command a fee at least double of the £10m offer from Leeds United that was rejected in the summer.
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Celtic are now interested in winning race to sign Tommy Conway
He’s hit the headlines recently due to his goalscoring exploits…
tommy-conway-bristol-city
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has earmarked a couple of areas to strengthen before the close of the window and his side are now reportedly keen on an exciting player to bolster the Hoops’ Scottish Premiership title bid.
Celtic set for busy closing period of the window…
Nicolas Kuhn has been the only arrival for Celtic so far this window as Rodgers and the Hoops carefully plot their next move between now and the end of the month.
Sky Sports News reporter Anthony Joseph has given some insight into where the Hoops may look next in the transfer market, stating via social media platform X:
Loan targets may be the aim for Celtic as they evaluate not only availability but also affordability.
The Daily Record claim that several options from the Premier League have been reviewed as Rodgers looks to provide support to Kyogo Furuhashi, who has become the sole surviving forward at Parkhead for the next few weeks amid Oh Hyeon-gyu and Daizen Maeda’s involvement at the Asian Cup.
One familiar name that continues to be mentioned in the left-back position is Liverpool defender Owen Beck and he could move north of the border once again before the deadline if Jurgen Klopp deems that he has appropriate cover in that position amid recent injury concerns involving Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.
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Yet another club want to sign Celtic gem Rocco Vata as Hoops grant exit
Another option has now come out of the blue that Celtic could look to target to beef up their options in attack, according to a fresh report.
Celtic in race to sign Tommy Conway…
According to Football Insider, Celtic have emerged as suitors for Bristol City striker Tommy Conway and could be involved in a five-way tussle with Rangers, Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford all in the race to land the Scotland Under-21 international.
Over the last couple of weeks, the Taunton-born striker has boosted his growing reputation by scoring twice against West Ham United as the Robins progressed against David Moyes’ side during the week at Ashton Gate.
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Labelled “excellent” by former boss Nigel Pearson, the 21-year-old has notched eight goals in 22 appearances this campaign despite missing seven weeks due to injury issues (Conway statistics – Transfermarkt).
Tommy Conway’s key statistics in 2023/24 – Championship (Sofascore)
Expected goals
5.34
Shots per game
1.6
Shots on target per game
0.8
Big chances missed
4
Key passes
0.4
Celtic look to be in the market to add a new striker before the window closes; however, it is unclear whether Conway would be an affordable target or if Bristol City would allow the emerging star to leave in mid-season, making this one to watch.
CELTIC COULD SIGN £2M ACE AFTER HE ‘SUPERBLY’ OUTSHONE CRISTIANO RONALDO
It’s probably safe to say that Hakon Valdimarsson – the £2 million-rated IF Elfsborg goalkeeper linked with a move to Scottish Premiership champions Celtic – is not exactly a household name on the green side of Glasgow.
But that could be about to change. With Joe Hart’s contract expiring, and neither Scott Bain nor Benjamin Siegrist obvious replacements, Celtic are scouring the market for shot-stoppers.
There is interest in the aforementioned Hakon Valdimarsson, according to Goteborgs Posten. And, despite being crowned the Goalkeeper of the Year at the 2023 Swedish football awards after an outstanding Allsvenskan campaign with Elfsborg, it is the 22-year-old’s performances on the international stage which should ease the reservations of those fearing another Gustaf Lagerbielke situation.
Celtic eye Iceland ace Hakon Valdimarsson
Portugal V Iceland: Group J – UEFA EURO 2024 European Qualifiers
Lagerbielke arrived at Celtic from Elfsborg last summer and has failed to force his way into Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI, rumours of an early departure swirling already after just a few months in Scotland.
Lagerbielke, however, did not arrive with a stand-out performance against Cristiano Ronaldo under his belt, that virtuoso display in Iceland’s European Championship qualifier with Portugal in November surely earning Valdimarsson the benefit of the doubt amongst a sceptical Celtic fanbase burned by previous transfer failiures.
Valdimarsson set his stall out early, calmly and confidently gathering a Joao Felix shot which fizzed through a crowded penalty area after just three minutes. He had no answer to a brilliant Bruno Fernandes daisy-cutter but Valdimarsson did paw away a Ruben Dias volley from close range.
Then, it was Ronaldo’s turn to be denied. The £2 million-rated, Celtic-linked shot-stopper ‘superbly’ clutching a powerful header from arguably world football’s greatest ever goalscorer.
Goalkeeper got the better of Cristiano Ronaldo
“Did really well from the start and showed a lot of courage,” Icelandic publication DV wrote at full-time, Valdimarsson emerging with his reputation very much unscathed even if he maybe could have done more to keep out Ricardo Horta’s second-half winner.
“Other than that, he was excellent.”
If Celtic are to progress under Rodgers – in the Champions League in particular – the man chosen to inherit Joe Hart’s gloves must be capable of producing virtuoso, backs-against-the-wall performances against some of the planet’s finest forwards.
And Valdimarsson has already proven he can do just that.
Reportage surrounding Yuki Kobayashi’s Celtic future takes a dramatic twist
Gary Kirkpatrick
Yuki Kobayashi is yet another Celtic player clearly not in the future plans of manager Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead.
The Japanese defender was recruited to the Hoops when Ange Postecoglou was boss and made his Scottish Premiership debut exactly one year ago today against St Mirren.
However, it’s safe to say Kobayashi’s tenure at the Hoops has been extremely frustrating. He featured seven times under Postecoglou before the Aussie-Greek hero left for Tottenham Hotspur.
And throughout the 2023/24 campaign, the closest Kobayashi has been to making a single appearance for Celtic was against Rangers in September when he made the bench.
Bar that, Rodgers hasn’t given him any minutes in any competition so just like Gustaf Lagerbielke, for example, Kobayashi’s immediate future surely lies elsewhere.
That’s what the Daily Mail reporter Stephen McGowan wrote at the beginning of January, saying that Kobayashi was set to reunite with former Celtic coach Harry Kewell at Yokohama F. Marinos.
However, the reportage surrounding Kobayashi’s future has now taken a dramatic twist.
Yuki Kobayashi transfer latest
Celtic v Yokohama F.Marinos – Preseason Friendly
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‘Brendan Rodgers spoke glowingly’: Pundit suggests surprise 26-year-old as a Celtic striker
‘Brendan Rodgers spoke glowingly’: Pundit suggests surprise 26-year-old as a Celtic striker
67 Hail Hail
The Daily Record’s Scott Burns is now claiming that while Celtic are seeking to ship out some of their fringe players in the squad, Yuki Kobayashi won’t be one of them.
The report states that the defender is ‘unlikely to exit’ the Hoops this January so it seems his move back to Japan with Kewell is dead in the water.
Kobayashi signed a whopping a five-year deal with Celtic last January and it’s clear a move for him now was necessary for both the club and the individual himself.
The last thing he wants is another six months spent watching Celtic from the stands and dealing with the fact Rodgers will give him zero chance of playing bar a wipeout of injured defenders in the team.
Celtic sent a transfer message about Kilmarnock star following Nicolas Kuhn’s arrival
Danny Armstrong is having a pretty fruitful campaign in the colours of Kilmarnock this season and his name was suggested to Celtic recently.
Kenny Miller reacted to a Celtic fan claiming that the team should look to sign Danny Armstrong during the January transfer window.
First off, with the arrival of Nicolas Kuhn, there are now enough wide players for Brendan Rodgers to pick from at Celtic, and even more so.
But Danny Armstrong is versatile and can play across the pitch, including in the middle of the park, upfront and even a gig at right-back.
Kenny Miller labelled the 26-year-old as ‘very important’ for Kilmarnock and someone who has been ‘performing so consistently’, as he told Clyde 1.
And he interestingly suggested that Celtic and Rangers perhaps ‘overlook’ what they have on their doorstep when it comes to bringing in talent.
That’s why a certain Lawrence Shankland, scoring goals for fun a Hearts this season, is getting the headlines.
Danny Armstrong to Celtic?
“He definitely wouldn’t have been in my thinking about Celtic being interested in him,” said Miller.
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“He is having a great season. He is a really important player for Kilmarnock, who is playing in a really good team, at this moment. With Celtic, it’s a big jump.
“Would signings such as your Armstrong’s or Shankland’s, guys that are actually doing it in the league, are they less of a risk? I think they are. But teams like Celtic and Rangers seem to overlook teams that are performing within our league.
“But you are right. Armstrong has had a brilliant season. There is no doubt that he is performing so consistently, probably more consistent than the Celtic wingers, at this moment in time.”
Celtic FC v Livingston FC – Cinch Scottish Premiership
Danny Armstrong isn’t needed at Celtic
That’s not the type of player the club now needs or would push for. As mentioned above, if Celtic are looking inside this league to sign a player, then it’s probably someone like Shankland or Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski.
And even then, those two divide opinion with the fanbase.
When it comes to dominating on the domestic stage, the team have done it down to a tee for years and years now and it’s a case of carrying that on.
Where the club wants and needs to take the next step is in Europe. And that’s where the question needs to be asked is, if the above players would do that and the simple answer is, no.
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Rodgers could supercharge Palma as Celtic eye swoop for £2.8k-p/w whiz
The Scottish giants are reportedly interested in a deal to snap up the young defender.
palma-celtic-champions-league-rodgers-johnston
Celtic officially completed their first piece of incoming business during the January transfer window on Tuesday as they announced the signing of Nicolas Kuhn.
The 24-year-old forward has been signed from Austrian side Rapid Wien on a five-and-a-half-year deal for a reported to be within the region of £3m.
23/24 Bundesliga
Nicolas Kuhn (via Sofascore)
Appearances
16
Goals
Two
Assists
Five
Big chances created
11
Sofascore rating
7.22
There are still around two weeks left to go before the window slams shut and the Hoops are reportedly in the market to make further additions to their squad.
Football Insider recently reported that Brendan Rodgers would like to bring in three signings on top of the deal to snap Kuhn up from Austria.
The former Leicester City boss has identified three other positions that need to be addressed; goalkeeper, left-back, and centre-forward ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Celtic’s search for a left-back
According to FootballScotland, the Hoops are interested in a swoop to sign impressive young full-back Owen Beck from Premier League side Liverpool.
The report claims that the talented youngster, who spent the first half of the season on loan with Dundee, has been on the club’s radar since October.
It states that the Bhoys remain keen on a deal for the Reds academy graduate but look set to be made to wait as Jurgen Klopp weighs up the best way to go about dealing with his left-back situation.
jürgen-klopp-liverpool
Kostas Tsimikas and Andrew Robertson are currently out injured and this has left the German head coach with a dearth of options in that position, which has forced Joe Gomez to be deployed there in recent weeks.
Liverpool recalled Beck from his loan spell from Dundee to provide much-needed cover for their first-team. However, FootballScotland add that the Europa League side could send him back out on loan if Robertson or Tsimikas return before the end of the month.
This suggests that Celtic could have an opportunity to snap up the Welsh dynamo to bolster their left-hand side before the transfer window slams shut, if they remain patient.
A potential issue with that is that the Hoops could wait until near deadline day and then be left scrambling around to sign an alternative if Liverpool ultimately decide that they would rather keep Beck at Anfield until the end of the season.
The report also claims that fellow Scottish side Glasgow Rangers are also eyeing up the 21-year-old prospect, which means that there could be competition to land his signature if he does become available for a loan or permanent transfer.
If Rodgers and Celtic are able to snap up Beck to add to their left-back options before the window slams shut, the Liverpool whiz could supercharge current Hoops forward Luis Palma.
Luis Palma’s outstanding start to life in Scotland
The Honduras international has made 21 of his 22 Celtic appearances on the left flank and this means that he would line up ahead of the Reds youngster in the team.
Palma joined from Aris ahead of the 2023/24 campaign after an impressive season with the Greek side as a scorer of goals from the flank.
oriley-celtic-premiership-champions-league-rodgers-atletico
He produced 11 goals and four assists in 20 league appearances for the club and that convinced the Hoops to swoop to secure his services last summer.
Since his move to Parkhead, the 24-year-old whiz has been electric on the wing for the Scottish giants with his ability to score and create goals at an excellent rate.
Only three players – David Turnbull (seven), Kyogo Furuhashi (eight), and Matt O’Riley (ten) – have scored more Scottish Premiership goals than Palma (five) for Celtic this season.
Meanwhile, no Hoops player has provided more assists than the impressive forward (nine) as he has been Rodgers’ biggest creative threat at the top end of the pitch.
The former Aris star has racked up nine assists, 11 ‘big chances’ created, and 3.4 key passes per game across 17 appearances and 14 starts in the top-flight so far.
Palma is capable of the spectacular and has been a consistent contributor in the final third. However, Rodgers could supercharge his star forward by signing Beck to bolster the attacking quality down the left flank.
Why Beck could help to supercharge Palma
The 21-year-old whiz is already a proven Premiership performer, thanks to his loan spell with Dundee, and could hit the ground running at Parkhead as he already knows the division and has performed to a high level in it.
Beck caught the eye with his marauding displays down the left wing for the Scottish outfit as he showcased his quality in and out of possession.
beck-liverpool-rangers-transfer-clement-yilmaz
Defensively, the £2.8k-per-week talent produced consistently solid performances with 2.9 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per match. No current Celtic full-back has averaged more than 2.1 tackles or 0.4 interceptions per game in the Premiership this season.
This suggests that the Liverpool prodigy could cut out more opposition attacks to win possession back for his side in comparison to the likes of Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor, which could create more counter-attacking opportunities for Palma to stretch his legs and cause havoc in transition with his creative brilliance.
Beck, who was once hailed as “spectacular” by scout Jacek Kulig, could also provide quality in possession and help the winger by offering a threat at the top end of the pitch that could attract more attention from opposition defenders and open up more space for the right-footed left forward to cut inside.
23/24 Premiership
Owen Beck
Greg Taylor
Touches per game
55.5
99.5
Key passes per game
2.0
1.9
Crossing accuracy
31%
15%
Dribbles completed per game
1.4
0.6
As you can see in the table above, the former Dundee star created more chances, completed more dribbles, and was far more effective as a crosser despite almost having half as many touches of the ball per match as Taylor.
Imagine what Beck could do if he had 44 more touches per game for Celtic than he had during the first half of the season in the Premiership.
His attacking output could be staggering and that is another reason why the Hoops target could supercharge Palma as the left-back could create a high volume of chances for the winger to add to his goal tally and climb the ranks within the squad, ahead of the likes of Turnbull, Kyogo, and O’Riley.
Daniel is an experienced football writer and editor, having worked in the football media industry for almost a decade.
After initially writing for Fresh Press as a volunteer for two years in 2015, helping to build and establish the Read brand, Daniel started a part-time job with Fresh Press that later turned into a full-time writing and editing role.
Daniel then spent just shy of a year writing and editing for Anfield Watch, which included conducting and/or transcribing interviews with Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, former Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, and journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Since the summer of 2021, Daniel has worked for Snack Media and been a contributor to Football FanCast, on a freelance and full-time basis along the way, as a writer and editor.
Daniel is also a big Norwich City fan and season ticket holder. He has been heard on BBC Norfolk and helped DAZN with research for their commentary due to his knowledge of the club, along with being featured in several local papers across the country, including the Coventry Telegraph and the Liverpool Echo, for Norwich-related content.
‘Even better in scotland’: What those inside Rapid Vienna have said about Nicolas Kuhn joining Celtic
What those inside Rapid Vienna have said about Nicolas Kuhn joining Celtic
Celtic have got Nicolas Kuhn through the doors after he was announced as the club’s first January signing on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old adds to the strong and bulked-up wide positions Brendan Rodgers can pick from at Celtic, with the manager expressing his thoughts on the deal.
Celtic return, Hamish says goodbye and the future of 67 Hail Hail
It has been suggested that the Scottish Premiership champions are paying Rapid Vienna ‘£3 million’ for the services of their ‘dynamic’ player.
The club itself spoke very highly of Nicolas Kuhn upon departure, as they posted on their club website, describing him as a ‘valuable’ player.
Rapid’s Managing Director Markus Katzer added how he hopes their departed player can ‘demonstrate his undoubtedly huge potential even better in Scotland than here’.
After previously being at Ajax and Bayern Munich, Nicolas Kuhn played 51 matches in total for the Austrian side scoring seven goals and supplying ten assists.
And now he will be hoping to win some much-needed trophies, with Markus Katzer adding that the player ‘really wanted to take this next step in his career’.
From Rapid Vienna to Celtic
“With Nicolas Kühn we are leaving a valuable player who I personally and on behalf of our club would like to wish only the best for the future,” said Katzer
Brendan Rodgers now delivers message to the younger players in his Celtic squad
Fed up Danny Murphy explains why he can’t watch Celtic vs Rangers anymore
Fed up Danny Murphy explains why he can’t watch Celtic vs Rangers anymore
Billy Stark thinks 23-year-old is doing something at Celtic that isn’t normal nowadays
‘Unfair criticism’: Rab Douglas slams what he is hearing about ‘model professional’ Celtic star
‘Unfair criticism’: Rab Douglas slams what he is hearing about ‘model professional’ Celtic star
‘He can’: Brendan Rodgers reacts to Nicolas Kuhn signing, hints at how Celtic will use him
“I hope he can demonstrate his undoubtedly huge potential even better in Scotland than here.
“Nic really wanted to take this next step in his career. Since the conditions were ultimately right for us, we complied with his request for a change.”
Fiorentina v SK Rapid Wien – Conference League: Play-Off
Nicolas Kuhn fitting in at Celtic
The squad are now getting back together after the winter break and it’s a Scottish Cup tie against Buckie Thistle straight up.
This will be Kuhn’s chance to make an early impression, although, fans won’t get to see his true value until a few more outings.
With Daizen Maeda away on national duty, the likes of James Forrest and Mikey Johnston simply not good enough to start.
If Kuhn can impress pretty much straight away, then it won’t be too long before he is named in the starting XI.
Celtic and Rangers ‘enter race’ with three Premier League clubs to sign Scotland under-21 international
The Bristol City forward continues to enhance his growing reputation south of the border
Lewis Anderson
Celtic and Rangers have entered the race along with three Premier League clubs in the battle to land Bristol City striker Tommy Conway, according to reports.
Football Insider claim the two Glasgow clubs are ‘tracking’ the Scotland under-21 international following his breakthrough season with the EFL Championship outfit last term.
Conway has emerged on the radar of several top clubs including English top-flight trio Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Brentford this month after netting eight goals so far this campaign despite missing over two months of action through injury.
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The 21-year-old, who is eyeing a place in Steve Clarke’s Euro 2024 Scotland squad, scored the match-winner for the Robins as they knocked West Ham out of the FA Cup following a third-round replay at Ashton Gate last night.
Conway has 18 months remaining on his current deal at Bristol City, where he has spent his entire career to date having joined their academy system at the age of seven. He previously had two separate loan spells at non-league sides Yate Town and Bath City.
Since making his senior debut in 2021, the Scotsman has found the net 21 times and contributed five assists in 71 appearances across all competitions. He has captained Scotland’s under-21s on two occasions in international friendlies.
Celtic transfer state of play on Beck, Carter Vickers and Kelleher as van Hooijdonk edges closer to Bologna exit
The Hoops could be busy in the second half of the January transfer window with many names linked to them.
Dundee’s Owen Beck (L) and Celtic’s Daizen Maeda in action
Dundee’s Owen Beck (L) and Celtic’s Daizen Maeda in action
Brendan Rodgers will need to play the waiting game if he wants Liverpool duo Owen Beck and Caoimhin Kelleher.
The Irishman is keen to bolster his Parkhead ranks after securing winger Nicolas Kuhn from Rapid Vienna. A left-back looks likely to be on the agenda and Beck has been linked after starring on loan at Dundee in the first half of this term. He has been recalled by the Reds amid injury problems at Anfield but with stars like Andy Robertson returning, Rodgers could pounce on Beck being made available again.
Jurgen Klopp’s side “won’t make any final decision on Beck’s immediate future until nearer the end of the month.” according to Football Scotland. And there is set to be disappointment in pursuit of Kelleher, as goalkeeper comes into the light with Joe Hart’s future as Celtic number one up for debate. Kelleher has been told though, According to the Liverpool Echo, he won’t be leaving mid-season.
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That said, Rodgers “may renew” his interest in the summer. Sydney van Hooijdonk is another linked with making a move to Celtic and the son of Hoops hero Pierre is being edged closer to Bologna’s exit door.
According to Tuttomercato, Santiago Castro is close to a Serie A move that would put the Dutchman behind him and Joshua Zirkzee in the pecking order. He has ‘admirers’ in Serie B and the Eredivisie.
One man Rodgers dare not sell is Cameron Carter-Vickers. The USA international is believed to be attracting the interest of Premier League sides including West Ham, and David Moyes has issued a Hammer transfer update amid the centre-back rumours.
He said: “We’ll try and do some business. There’s undoubtedly a desire from the club to try and do something, from me and everybody there. The next part is can we get the right players to fall in and get ones who can come in and help just now.”
Brendan Rodgers refuses to write off Celtic summer transfers as 2 emerging stars name checked
The Hoops boss believes his summer additions can still come good
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers has refused to write off any of his summer signings and insists players always require time to adapt.
Celtic splurged more than £20million during the close season but have yet to see a return for their money. Luis Palma is the only arrival who has established himself as a regular, while Paulo Bernardo has only recently forced his way into the fold. But the likes of Gustaf Lagerbielke, Yang, Kwon, Odin Thiago Holm and Marco Tilio have struggled to impress, forcing Rodgers to seek further reinforcements in January.
The Hoops boss has made it clear that he’s craving “quality” this month and used the term to describe the £2.8m addition of Rapid Vienna winger Nicolas Kuhn. A new left-back and striker are also on his wishlist, but Rodgers believes his summer captures can still come good, citing the example of Liam Scales who has emerged from the shadows this season.
Celtic vs Rangers ‘unwatchable’ with no away fans as English pundit slams lack of needlefootballscotland
Watch as stunned Nicolas Kuhn blown away by Celtic Park as new signing walks out for first timefootballscotland
Asked where the Premiership leaders can improve in the second-half of the season, Rodgers told Celtic TV: “Well, I think the consistency is the main one.
I’ve been absolutely delighted to work with the players, good guys. We lost some important players and obviously a lot of younger players that had come in and will take a wee bit of time to adapt.
“Some of those have begun to emerge, the likes of Liam Scales. He’s not a young player, of course, but he came into the team and has done great. Paulo Bernardo, this last period, has settled in very well. But that’s how long it can sometimes take for a young player coming from a different country, different culture and different expectations.
“It’s been great to see the likes of them coming through. For me, it’s just that consistency and mentality and that will hopefully spread into that performance level. We’ve seen that in the last four games, we’ve been much more like what we’ve been.
“We’ve had other really good performances, Atletico Madrid at home, we were very clinical against Aberdeen. In the second half of the season, we can continue to grow and development the mindset of the players and team and look to have a really exciting second part to the season.”
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Danny Murphy brutally snubs Celtic triumph over Rangers as he claims iconic fixture is now UNWATCHABLE
The former Liverpool star turned pundit could barely hide his disdain for the fixture in its current guise in a radio admission.
Unimpressed Danny Murphy has claimed he has been turned off by Celtic facing Rangers due to away fans being in absentia from Scottish football’s marquee fixture.
The former Liverpool star turned pundit could barely hide his disdain for the fixture in its current guise where away supporters have been locked out amid ongoing acrimony from both which started in 2018 and has festered ever since. Murphy’s ire came amid renewed hope over the potential return of travelling supporters to one of the world’s most heralded derbies. But Record Sport understands the lockout could remain place for the final two Premiership derbies unless compromises are made during these fresh discussions.
And a downbeat Murphy – speaking on talkSPORT – refused to sugar-coat his viewing experience of a fixture he once adored : “I’ll give you a quick example. The last game they had, I put in for…15, 20 minutes? I can probably be honest enough to say the reason I turned it over was because of the lack of fan involvement from each other. It just felt unwatchable, it was weird. I think that’s it (the needle missing).”
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Celtic and Rangers both used to serve up around 7,500 travelling tickets to away fans with those of a green and white persuasion insistent their dominance at Ibrox forced their rivals into retreat.
Rangers claim added fan buzz over Steven Gerrard’s arrival led to a change of tact with both, at best, taking a smattering of away fans before the acrimony escalated and visiting fans were on the outside looking in.
Celtic transfer ‘collapses’ as club ‘turn attentions’ to Liverpool player
The Hoops goalkeeper’s proposed move to Austrian side Sturm Graz has fallen through
Celtic goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist looks set to stay at Parkhead for the time being after a proposed loan move to Sturm Graz collapsed following their decision to turn attentions elsewhere.
The Hoops’ third-choice stopper has made just two competitive appearances for the Scottish champions since joining the club from Dundee United in the summer of 2022 under Ange Postecoglou, featuring in last season’s League Cup campaign.
31-year-old Siegrist was reportedly close to joining the Austrian side in search of more regular game time but the Daily Record claim that club officials “are now considering Liverpool goalkeeper Vitezlav Jaros as an alternative”.
It was suggested that Sturm Graz has been working on a deal for the Swiss keeper for almost a month but have now decided to pursue other targets.
Siegirst finds himself behind current No.1 Joe Hart and understudy Scott Bain in the pecking order, with Bain featuring earlier this season when Hart was ruled out through suspension. He was expected to depart the club last summer but a managerial change prevented him from cutting short his frustrating spell at Parkhead.
However, Brendan Rodgers now looks ready to move some fringe players on and free up some funds to invest in new arrivals. Siegrist was brought in to challenge for the number one jersey after impressing during his time at Tannadice, but his decision to join Celtic over a number of other transfer options hasn’t worked out.
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Celtic confirm their first January deal
Celtic have announced the transfer of Yosuke Ideguchi to Vissel Kobe, the club that supplied the hoops with Kyogo Furuhashi and Yuki Kobayashi.
Two years ago the midfielder joined Celtic alongside Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda but a nasty injury on his debut away to Alloa Athletic in the Scottish Cup effectively grounded his Celtic career before it had started. Matt O’Riley made his debut in the next fixture, away to Hearts.
Billed as a holding midfielder with a previous stint in Europe at Leeds United, Ideguchi found that position barely existed at Celtic where they enjoy 70% possession in many domestic matches. James McCarthy and Oliver Abildgaard suffered similar fates.
It appears that Celtic have received a 1m euros fee for the midfielder, the same fee that they paid to Gamba Osaka two years ago. With exchange rate fluctuations there may be a small profit or loss.
Yosuke Ideguchi has today joined J.League Champions, @visselkobe on a permanent transfer.
Best of luck, Yosuke! ? pic.twitter.com/GyISkx307T
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 9, 2024
Ideguchi made five substitute appearances in his ‘debut’ season and spent the 2023 J-League season on loan at Avispa Fukuoka where he was short listed for the Player of the Year Award.
Further departures are expected from Celtic but it has been a slow start, incoming and outgoing, start to the January window.
Shaun Maloney sends clear Celtic message live on ITV during FA Cup coverage
Celtic favourite Shaun Maloney is now trying his hand at doing his talking from the dugout as manager of Wigan Athletic.
The League One side were in FA Cup action on Monday night when they had the difficult task of trying to pile more misery on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, but ultimately, it ended in a 2-0 defeat.
When Shaun Maloney was a player, fans witnessed his magic on the ball, especially during his two spells at Celtic.
But you could understand if ‘the happiest’ moment of his career came when he did the unthinkable and won the FA Cup with Wigan in 2012 when they beat Manchester City in the final at Wembley.
Prior to the Man United game, the former winger was keen to express the difference in ‘relentless’ pressure when you are at Celtic compared to other clubs he played for.
Shaun Maloney stated that the pressure isn’t to win trophies when he is at Wigan, but it’s ‘different’ when you are at Celtic, as he told ITV Sport.
Five league titles, and other honours, speak for themselves because he was successful during his time at Parkhead and now he is hoping to continue that success as a manager.
Celtic pressure
“It’s probably the happiest I have been on the pitch,” said Maloney about winning the FA Cup with Wigan.
“I think when you join Wigan. Normally, trophies aren’t the first thing that come to mind, especially when you are in the Premier League. But it’s probably the happiest I have ever been. It’s just pure joy.
“When you are with Celtic, it’s different. The pressure is relentless. This was just utter joy.”
Celtic dominating Scotland
Undoubtedly, the tide has been going one way and one way only for over a decade now.
Brendan Rodgers has played a huge part in that and hopes to go down the same road again this season.
Even though there have been ups and downs, the team are sitting top of the tree and the talking has been done in the big games, as was proven during the 2-1 win over Rangers.
This mini break was probably much-needed given the heavy schedule the team has had to face this season and you would expect the best form of the season to now come to the fore during the second half of the campaign.
Celtic transfer reported to Fifa, Rangers offered £10m for striker, Hibs prepare for new signing…
The latest January transfer news involving Scottish Premiership clubs
Rangers have been linked with Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Rangers blow in winger pursuit
Rangers may have to wait until the summer to land Vitesse Arnhem winger Million Manhoef amid reports that the Eredivisie club are not prepared to let him leave before the end of the season. The highly-rated Dutch Under-21 international has been linked with a move to Ibrox this January in a £2.5million deal. However, according to reports in Der Gerlander, Vitesse are prepared to “veto” any move for their player as they feel it would consign them to relegation. The article also claims club bosses reckon the 22-year-old could earn them a larger transfer fee in the summer with his contract not expiring until 2025.
Celtic transfer reported to Fifa
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The deal that brought Luis Palma to Celtic from Greek side Aris Saloniki has been reported to Fifa by his previous club Vida over unpaid fees. The Honduran winger has been a big hit at the Scottish champions with seven goals and nine assists in 22 appearances since making the £3.5 move in the summer. Aris signed Palma in 2019 in a deal reported to be worth €200,000 with a 35 per cent sell-on clause. Vida insist they are still owed money from the original transfer, as well as the move to Celtic, and have taken the dispute to Fifa. Club president Luis Cruz said: “The first transfer for Luis Palma was for €200,000 and we built in a 35 per sell-on fee. But we did not receive any payment after his transfer to Celtic. Celtic bought Luis for €4.8 m £4.1m), we know that. I told Luis when he was leaving us not to go to the club in Greece and I had arranged a transfer to a club in Portugal instead, but his agent insisted he go to Aris. They haven’t paid us the full amount from the first transfer either and the sell-on fee which has hurt us financially a great deal. In total, they owe us around £50,000 from the original transfer and the sell-on. We have been left with no alternative but to take the matter to FIFA. We are happy that Luis has been a big success at Celtic, but for this club to survive, we need this money. To keep a club afloat, we have to do this. I had to delay payments and reduce salaries because of this.”
Josh Doig set for Torino move
Josh Doig’s touted move to Rangers appears dead in the water with reports in Italy claiming the left-back is close to joining Torino. The former Hibs defender looks set to depart Hellas Verona in the January window and, according to Calciomercato, he is poised to remain in Serie A after reaching a verbal agreement over a move to Turin. Doig played just over 70 minutes in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Inter Milan at the San Siro amid transfer speculation linking the Scotland Under-21 international with a £5.2m departure. Verona could move for Rangrs left-back Ridvan Yilmaz as a replacement for Doig with the Turkish international said to be a target for the Italians. Rangers remain in the market for a left-back and have been linked with Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union), Gijs Smal (FC Twente), and Fredrik Oppegard (PSV Eindhoven).
Rangers offered £10m striker
Rangers are weighing up a proposal to sign Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis. The 26-year-old is currently on loan with Turkish Super Lig side Basaksehir FK but the move has not worked out with Dennis failing to find the net in eight appearances. Forest are prepared to recall the Nigerian international if they can negotiate a move elsewhere. According to transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, he has been offered to Rangers but, as things stand, no official approach has been made. Dennis, who cost Forest a reported £10m when he joined from Watford in 2022, is no stranger to current Rangers boss Philippe Clement. He scored 10 goals in 46 games playing under the Belgian during his time at Club Brugge prior to earning a move to the English Premier League. Dennis is said to be ‘interested’ in the potential Ibrox reunion.
Hibs ‘primed’ for new arrival
Hibs are said to be closing on first signing of the January transfer window in the shape of Leeds United defender Kris Moore. The 20-year old, who can play at both right-back and centre-back, has yet to make the senior breakthrough at Elland Road but has been impressing for the club’s Under-21 side. According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Moore is ‘primed’ to complete his move to Easter Road on a loan deal until the end of the season. With Chris Cadden out injured and Lewis Miller away at the Asian Cup with Australia, Hibs manager Nick Montgomery is keen to bolster his options at right-back.
Rangers and Celtic linked with ‘next Paulo Maldini’ as £6m left-back available for cut-price transfer
Reports in Italy have linked with Old Firm with the impressive left-back
Gijs Smal has been linked with Celtic and Ranger
Rangers have been linked with a move for a Dutch left-back who has been compared to Paolo Maldini – weeks after he was first mooted with a switch to Celtic.
Once in every while, Celtic and Rangers manage to snag a cheap player who goes on to achieve huge things in football; Gennaro Gattuso, Henrik Larsson, Virgil van Dijk, the list goes on. And, whilst there haven’t been many of those in the past couple of years, the standing and reputation of the two Glaswegian giants always allows for top talents to be linked with a move to the second city as a result of their footballing exploits.
With defensive reinforcements needed for both clubs if they are to increase their standing in European football, the European market is something that both clubs generally tap into to find potential bargains and increase their value on the domestic scene.
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And according to reports in the Netherlands, Ibrox has emerged as a possible destination for FC Twente left-back Gijs Smal, with the defender being dubbed ‘the new Maldini’.
Smal is out of contract in the summer, though with Borna Barisic not getting any younger and the jury still out on Ridvan Yilmaz, there could well be a vacancy in the left-back rank which Smal has been tipped to take over, alongside Josh Doig of Verona who has been touted for a ‘swap deal’ for Yilmaz.
‘Smaldini’, which he has been coined with due to his similarities to AC Milan legend Paolo, signed for Twente aged 23, and racked up an outstanding 10 assists last season for the former Eredivisie champions.
He was valued at £6million last season but will leave in the summer on a free transfer, though if a club stumps up a fee this month they will be able to land him early to avoid competition for his signing – which Twente transfer chief Arnold Bruggink opened up over.
He said: “Of course we would very much like it if Gijs signed a new deal with us. But both parties have to want that. And we have to be realistic about that part of his future sadly.”
Celtic were linked with a move last month given Bernabei’s poor start to life in the green and white shirt, though he would have to contend for game time with Greg Taylor.
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Celtic Loan Bhoy Dumped Out of FA Cup
Celtic loanee Haksabanovic and his Stoke side faced a stern test against Premier League outfit Brighton in the FA Cup on Saturday, a challenge that ultimately saw them knocked out following a 4-2 defeat.
For the 24-year-old winger, the game was a chance to showcase his talents on a larger stage. Starting in the line-up, Haksabanovic was in the thick of the action for 58 minutes until he was pulled off with Stoke trailing 2-1.
Despite the loss, the outing was another opportunity for him to gain valuable match fitness and experience, adding to his 12 appearances this season. It’s worth noting, however, that his journey this term hasn’t been all smooth, with an earlier injury sidelining him and disrupting his rhythm.
Signed by Ange Postecoglou, Haksabanovic arrived at Celtic with a promising aura but never quite managed to cement his place in the team. Brendan Rodgers made the decision to send Sead out on loan, a move that spoke volumes about his immediate future with the Bhoys.
Now, half way through the season and next summer looming, his return to Celtic Park is on the horizon.
What lies ahead for Haksabanovic in the green and white?
His time away, marked by a mix of individual growth and collective disappointment, doesn’t paint the clearest picture. As things stand, Haksa’s Celtic career feels like it’s on its final leg. Rodgers has spoke about shaping the team in his image and Sead clearly isn’t in his plans.
Celtic transfer bulletin as Paulo Bernardo permanent deal ‘dangled’ and Tiago Araujo progress update
Bernardo has been one of Celtic’s key men recently but is he at Parkhead to stay?
Goal hero Paulo Bernardo
Paulo Bernardo has a permanent Celtic move dangling in front of him – and has been challenged to reach out and grab it.
The on-loan Benfica midfielder has grown into a prominent starting role under Brendan Rodgers after a peripheral start to life at Parkhead. Dubbed as the man to step into Jota’s shoes as the new superstar from Portugal in Glasgow’s east end, he started just two of the first 18 league games. But after forcing his way into the team against Livingston, he started the final four before the winter break, scoring twice and picking up a brace of assists against St Mirren for good measure.
He’ll be a key man in the second part of the season and there is already clamour from fans to see him signed up permanently with Celtic holding an option to purchase him as part of the loan agreement. And that’s something Paul Lambert would like to see them trigger…if he can keep his form up.
Lambert told The Celtic Way: “The carrot being dangled in front of Bernardo now is that the next five months will determine whether he wins a permanent contract at Celtic or not. If he does well and both parties agree then he will sign the deal. If he doesn’t then Brendan will need to decide on what he wants to do with him.
“In the last few games, Bernardo has started to get going a bit but he has to sustain those levels from now until May.
“Whether you are a young player at Celtic coming through the ranks, or just a young player or an experienced player, the one thing that this club teaches you is that you have to win. You have to win at every level. If you don’t have that feeling of winning, you crave it. It is like a drug. You always need it. It gives you a great grounding.
“If you do happen to move on from Celtic to pastures new then players quickly find out that there are not many clubs like it. The demands that are placed on Celtic players are incredible. That feeling of having to win games is ever-present at Celtic. The fan base demands that you win football matches. The lessons you learn at Celtic stand you in good stead whenever you do leave the club.
Michael Beale fires Rangers and Celtic potshot as Sunderland boss swipes at derbies that ‘don’t let the fans in’
Beale reckons derbies with both sets of fans are what ‘keeps football going’ as he aimed a veiled dig at Rangers and Celtic.
Michael Beale was on the losing end of a derby defeat to Newcastle
Michael Beale took a veiled dig at Rangers and Celtic over the ongoing away allocation deadlock – with a pop at derbies that ‘don’t let the fans in.’
Beale bounced back from his sacking at Ibrox to swiftly land the Sunderland job and it’s been a rocky start for him at the Stadium of Light.
He was in the dugout for Saturday’s heavily anticipated Tyne-Wear derby with Newcastle in the FA Cup, with the Magpies running out comfortable 3-0 winners.
The atmosphere was electric as 6,000 Geordies sat in the away section and made their voices head in the 49,000 sellout crowd. And it was something Beale was keen to celebrate despite his side’s disappointing defeat. Beale was in the dugout for six Old Firm derbies during his time in Glasgow but only two of them, at Hampden, had a significant number of both sets of fans in attendance.
That’s because of the ongoing feud between Rangers and Celtic with neither club currently allowing away supporters in at Ibrox or Parkhead.
And that wasn’t lost on Beale as he told beIN Sports after the game: “The noise in the stadium today was absolutely fantastic. Some derbies, we don’t allow the fans in, and I’ve had that both in Brazil and Scotland. So to have the derby with some opponents’ fans in and the fans working off each other, that’s what keeps football going.”
Video: Celtic loanee scores cracker for Dunfermline at Hampden
Celtic winger Ben Summers scored a cracking goal for Dunfermline last night. The 19-year-old joined the Fife side on a season-long loan to get first team football under James McPake and if he keeps scoring goals like this, he’ll get on Brendan’s radar.
Queen’s Park 2-1 Dunfermline
🗣️ “It’s a cracker, an absolute beauty, from Ben Summers.”
⚽️ Out of nothing Dunfermline are back in the match.
📺 Watch on the BBC Scotlang channel pic.twitter.com/fpyg0LTKuD
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) January 5, 2024
Since moving to East End Park, Summers has made 11 appearances, scoring twice and assisting twice. The Championship is a betterer route for young players as opposed to the B Team in the Lowland League.
Born just as Celtic were stopping the Ten, Lubo98 follows Celtic home and away and helps run his local Celtic Supporters Club. He goes to all the games and is a Law Graduate. Has a particular fondness for Tom Rogic among the current Celts and both Lubo and Henrik form his earliest Celtic memories.
‘Fantastic’ Liverpool player has turned down the chance to join Celtic in January
Brendan Rodgers’s Celtic are interested in signing Owen Beck from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the January transfer window.
That is according to The Athletic, which has suggested Beck’s stance on a potential move to Celtic Park.
So, what has been reported about Celtic, Liverpool and Owen Beck? Let’s take a look.
Celtic linked with Liverpool left-back Owen Beck
Well, according to The Athletic, Celtic are among the clubs who are interested in signing Owen Beck from Liverpool in the January transfer window.
The report has claimed that Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership title last season and are managed by former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, have been keen on a permanent deal for Beck.
The 21-year-old left-back spent the first half of the season on loan at Dundee from Liverpool. He is now back at his parent club.
The Athletic has noted that Celtic want(ed) to sign the youngster to “upgrade their competition at left-back”, but Beck “would have faced a fight to play so they were ruled out”.
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Liverpool FC recall Beck
Dundee Football Club can confirm that Liverpool have recalled Owen Beck and his loan with Dundee has ended.
Owen signed on loan for Dundee in the summer and quickly became an important player for The Dee putting in fantastic performances.
His great… pic.twitter.com/xU7pEYzchH— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) January 1, 2024
View Tweet
Beck did well during his spell at Dundee, who have described his performances as “fantastic” and admitted that he “will be greatly missed”.
The Athletic has reported that Rangers manager Philippe Clement personally want(ed) to sign the left-back in the January transfer window.
Coventry City, Stoke City, Millwall and Hull City all have made enquires about a loan deal for Beck, but Liverpool have decided that he will be part of manager Jurgen Klopp’s first-team squad due to injuries to Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson. He is rated highly by Klopp.
My View: Future bright for Owen Beck
In my opinion, the future of Owen Beck is bright. That he is going to play for the Liverpool first team in the second half of the season shows how good he is.
Beck did well during his loan spell at Dundee. The left-back made 17 appearances in the Scottish Premiership. He scored two goals and gave two assists in those games.
Celtic and Rangers are massive clubs and interest from them in Beck underlines how highly he is rated in the footballing community.
Sky Sport update; Celtic and Rangers transfer news as Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt wanted now
Celtic and Rangers transfer news as Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt now wanted
Leeds United ace Joe Gelhardt has been attracting interest from Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic in the January transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper reported via their website on 8 January that the Leeds man is wanted by both Old Firm clubs amid speculation that he could quit Elland Road this month.
Gelhardt has found game time difficult to come by so far this season, having made just six Championship appearances under Daniel Farke, but both Scottish clubs are in need of reinforcements up front in January.
Loan or permanent
It is not disclosed in the report whether the interest in Gelhardt would be on a loan or permanent move, but a report from The Athletic [21 December] shared that the striker would be open to a loan exit from Elland Road in January if the right deal presented itself.
Leeds, however, may be looking for a permanent solution to his playing issue, to offload the striker and bring in some money as well as get his wages off the books in a bid for greater financial security following last season’s relegation.
That same report from The Athletic shared the news that Gelhardt has been told by Leeds that he will remain at the club through the January transfer window, but the right offer from either Rangers or Celtic could prove tempting.
Gelhardt could be made the main man in Glasgow, with both sides in need of attacking reinforcements to strengthen their title bid, which could tempt him to push through the move to Scotland in the next month if Leeds prove unwilling to let him leave.
Ange Postecoglou flies into unusual rage at Tottenham as he is held in the dugout
Ange Postecoglou loses cool in uncharacteristic Tottenham fury as he’s held back in dugout
The Austalian was usually placid on the dugout at Celtic Park but showed his angry side
Ange Postecoglou was fuming with the Bournemouth bench
Ange Postecoglou cuts a routinely cool figure in the dugout as Tottenham just as he did at Celtic Park.
But earlier this afternoon, during his side’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth in the Premier League, the Australian lost that cool in a touchline bust-up with the Cherries staff. Postecoglou was livid at the visitors in London after Alejo Véliz picked up a knock during the game. The striker remained on the deck and Bournemouth’s players seemingly played on, perhaps by advice from their coaches, and that left the 58-year-old raging and he made his feelings known.
Ange had to be held back by players on his own side as well as his coaching staff as he made a beeline towards Andoni Iraola’s dugout.
The former Hoops boss was pointing fingers as he raged but was eventually urged to calm down.
Spurs secured the victory to stay fifth in the division thanks to goals from Pape Sarr, Son Hueng-Min and Richarlison. Alex Scott netted a consolation.
Todd Cantwell is Rangers pantomime villain and my painful Celtic reminder proves need for calm – Barry Ferguson
The former Ibrox captain and Record Sport columnist is licking his lips ahead of a mouthwatering showdown at Parkhead.
Rangers’ Todd Cantwell celebrates with James Tavernier (Image: SNS Group)
Todd Cantwell appears to have developed into the pantomime villain of Scottish football with fans of every team apart from Rangers lining up to give him abuse.
And there’s no doubt he’ll get it tight from 60,000 Celtic supporters at lunchtime on Saturday. It’s going to take real mental strength for the Rangers playmaker to block it out and concentrate on doing what he does best, which is bringing energy and creativity to a team that is thriving under Philippe Clement.
Look, I know it’s not easy and there have been times I’ve been unable to practice what I’m preaching. August 2000, Parkhead. 6-2 to Celtic and I’m up the tunnel early for two bookings, the second coming after a bit of daft handbags with Jonathan Gould. Let me tell you, that walk off the pitch and into the dressing room should take 10 seconds but it felt like 10 minutes. Then there’s the wait on your own inside for the final whistle. There’s no lonelier place in football.
And yet, I used that experience as fuel after I served my ban. The next time we played Celtic, we beat them 5-1 at our place. That’s the rollercoaster ride that comes with being at the Old Firm and Cantwell seems to thrive on the experience. Yes, he can get involved in the odd bit of silliness that makes him a target, but he can play and right now he is the creative spark that is vital to this run Rangers take into the Old Firm clash.
They’ll also go into it fresher than they would have been if the Ross County game had been played on Wednesday. But that’s a double-edged sword. Yes, the likes of Connor Goldson, who came off against Motherwell late on, will have had more recovery time, but from a player’s perspective, I always wanted to play when the team is going well. So, I’d rather have played the Ross County game and kept the momentum going, because that’s certainly what Rangers have got at the moment.
When you’re winning games, you want to play as many as you can. Right now, Rangers are flying and the manner in which they coped with the conditions at Fir Park on Christmas Eve told me everything about the mentality Clement has instilled in his men very quickly.
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Rangers’ Kieran Dowell celebrates (Image: SNS Group)
I’m only 10 miles from Motherwell, so I know what the weather was like. I was on a walk on Sunday morning and it was horrendous.
I was thinking: as a footballer, these are the worst conditions to play in. Rain isn’t a problem. The odd day when it’s a scorcher, you can deal with that – but wind is horrendous. I hated it and thought to myself, this is one of those days when you get in and out of Fir Park as quickly as possible with three points. The start of the game won the game for Rangers. They were positive and ruthless and had the points won before Motherwell could get a foothold in the game after half time when Stuart Kettlewell had obviously got into his players at the break.
But it was a professional performance from my old team. Job done. What has really impressed me is the way in which they’ve coped with so many injuries and continued to find a way to win. I don’t think anybody in their right mind would have predicted that Rangers would be going into such a crucial spell with Dujon Sterling and Kieren Dowell as the midfield partnership, but they were outstanding at the weekend.
Sterling has been a revelation in that role. He is like a stallion in the middle of the pitch. Big, strong, mobile and athletic but more than that, he can see and play a pass. With Ryan Jack, Nico Raskin, Jose Cifuentes and then John Lundstram all injured, you are thinking there’s a problem. But I always believe there’s a window of opportunity for somebody to come in and show that they can do a job and operate in different positions.
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The prime example is Dujon Sterling and when Clement has all his midfielders available, the big fella will be giving him a pleasant headache because he has made a really strong argument for staying in the team. He was outstanding in the cup final and really good in the second half against Real Betis in Seville when he came on at the break, so he’s shown he can handle big pressure situations.
That said, the manager will be hoping Lundstram and Goldson are fit for Saturday. They are both big game players and they don’t come much bigger than one. Celtic might not have been hitting the heights recently, but back to back wins have steadied their ship and they carry a huge threat from middle to front with Matt O’Riley playing really well, Daizen Maeda back from injury and Luis Palma a threat out wide. Then there’s Kyogo, who has a good recent record against Rangers.
The Ibrox support, watching in the pubs or at home on their TVs, will be confident and with some justification because of how they’ve handled every challenge thrown at them. This might be the biggest one yet. Have they got the mentality to handle it? I think they do.
Transfer Latest – Jeong Ho-Yeon close to joining Celtic
Celtic are apparently close to expanding their Asian contingent in the January transfer window, with the speculation that they are chasing Jung Ho-Yeon…
The Gwangju FC star is edging closer to a move to European football and his manager, Lee Jung-Hyo, has recently stating that a move to the Scottish Premiership Champions was in the offing and advancing.
The midfielder won the K-League Young Player of the Year in his homeland after helping them to a third-place finish domestically. Highly-rated in South Korea, the engine room man is apparently a good tackler and could provide that something different in the middle of the park for the Hoops, which has been badly lacking for some time now.
The player himself has revealed that he is due to move this coming window to a European club and Celtic was named when asked directly about the speculation. As reported by Chosun, he said: “A move into into Europe is slowly getting closer. During the last season, scouts from some European clubs, including Celtic, came to see me play in person. If I could choose a league, I want to play in the Spanish Primera Liga. From an early age, I loved FC Barcelona’s style of football.”
If this one turns out to be true, it will have to be a success as the club can no longer afford to give players settling in time and grace periods. Yang Hyun-jun and Kwon Hyeok-kyu have both came to the Scottish club and neither have been at the level yet. Now, that’s not to say they cannot become good players in the future, but as it stands, Celtic have a backlog of players that we need to clear off the books permanently or develop elsewhere in the meantime.
Ian Wright’s Celtic story stuns Gary Neville as Roy Keane delivers wild retort
Ian Wright Celtic history leaves Gary Neville gob-smacked as Roy Keane delivers savage one-liner
Arsenal legend Wright spent four months at Parkhead after being signed as a short-term replacement for injured Henrik Larsson
STICK TO FOOTBALL QUIZ WITH PADDY MCGUINNESS
It goes without saying that Ian Wright’s best years were well behind him when the Arsenal legend pitched up at Celtic Park in 1999.
So much so that close pal and Manchester United legend Gary Neville didn’t even know he played for the Hoops! It’s a period in history that Celtic fans would rather erase from memory, and that’s why Wright’s short stint in Glasgow was a forgettable one.
Following Henrik Larsson’s horror leg break in Lyon, boss John Barnes turned to his ex-England teammate by signing the striker from West Ham on a short-term deal. A player in the twilight of his career and living on past glories, it’s fair to say Wright’s time at Parkhead didn’t go to plan as he scored just three times and came on as a second-half sub during that infamous Scottish Cup defeat to Inverness Caley Thistle.
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Barnes paid the price with his job that night and it wasn’t long before Wright followed him out the door, returning south with Burnley where he eventually pulled the curtain down on his impressive career.
Best known for his iconic years at Crystal Palace and Arsenal, Wright’s association with Celtic left Neville gob-smacked as the Stick to Football pundit and sidekick Jamie Carragher were asked by quiz host Paddy McGuinness to list the clubs the goalscoring frontman played for. After Liverpool hero Carragher answered Celtic, astonished Neville turned to Wright and exclaimed: “You went to Celtic?”
Before Wright could get a word in, devilish Roy Keane – who also spent a short spell at Parkhead – immediately dished out a savage one-liner and teased: “He was up there… he didn’t play, did he?”
Justifying his move to Celtic, Wright explained: “I had a period of my career where I was bouncing from one club to another trying to finish in 2000.”
The 60-year-old added: “I played for Nottingham Forest for a month’s loan before I went to Celtic. So it was Palace, Arsenal and West Ham. Then Forest on loan, Celtic and Burnley. I had four clubs in one season, you can’t do that anymore. Me and Harry Redknapp didn’t get on so he blew me out at West Ham. I went on loan to Forest, then Henrik Larsson got injured so I went to Celtic.
“It all went wrong, Barnesy was there, then I went to Burnley to finish it off and we got promoted. It’s a beautiful story.”
You can watch the full Stick to Football episode in the video player above.
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Join Football Scotland’s Celtic WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our Celtic WhatsApp community today.
You’ll receive daily updates on breaking Hoops news as well as the top headlines from Parkhead.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Football Scotland team.
All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!
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Celtic hero Chris Sutton blasts SFA over ’embarrassing’ mic ruling
Celtic hero Chris Sutton has blasted the SFA for their decision to block Hibernian boss Nick Montgomery from being mic’d up during the Edinburgh derby, calling it “embarrassing”.
The Easter Road manager had agreed to fans watching on Sky Sports at home to hear him throughout the fixture after Hibs agreed to a request from the broadcaster.
It would have been a first in Scottish football along with Montgomery’s assistant Sergio Raimundo wearing a body cam.
And Sutton, who provided live commentary for the game, did not hold back when giving his thoughts on the decision.
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Writing on X, he said: “Nick Montgomery was open and happy to be mic’d up for tonight’s Edinburgh derby.
“It would have been fascinating to hear how he worked and his mindset ingame. But for whatever reason the SFA blocked it.
“The SFA are an embarrassment and stuck in the past. Dear me…”
READ MORE: Why Celtic’s Luis Palma is the club’s most dangerous player
Meanwhile, Celtic coach Harry Kewell is poised “to leave the club in the coming days”.
This is according to the Scottish Sun who claim that the Australian “edging closer to being appointed as the new Yokohama F. Marinos boss.”
Kewell did not travel with Brendan Rodgers’ side on Boxing Day as the Hoops defeated Dundee 3-0.
Reports in Australia state that John Hutchinson, who worked with Ange Postecoglou at Marinos, is expected to be his No2.
Rodgers previously confirmed that he would not stand in the way of Kewell joining the former J1 League champions.
He said: “”Harry has already managed before, so it is not new to him. He has had a taste of it and I am always one that if staff members want to broaden their horizons then I am very encouraging of that.
“It is also a sign that you have talented people if other clubs want them.”
AND ALSO
Celtic ‘move forward’ in Prospect talks after summer scouting missions
Celtic “advance” in talks with “prospect” after summer scouting missions
Celtic are in the market for quality in the January window…
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add quality to the ranks at Parkhead in January and his side are now reportedly advancing in negotiations for a known target.
Celtic gearing up for busy January window
Despite a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dundee at Dens Park on Boxing Day, Celtic will be keen to strengthen in January and Rodgers has made his intent to bolster his squad known over the last few weeks.
Speaking earlier this month cited via Sky Sports, the Irishman signalled his intention to add a high calibre of player mid-season, as he stated: “There’s no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and obviously we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That’s something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on.”
Boost for Rodgers as Celtic make aggressive January call on Matt O’Riley
Bringing in a striker has become a priority for the Hoops and their need is exacerbated by the fact that Kyogo Furuhashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Daizen Maeda could all head off to represent their respective nations on Asian Cup duty. Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Fabio Silva is believed to have been offered on loan as a potential short-term solution to the Scottish Premiership champions’ conceivable shortage of frontmen and it remains to be seen whether the Portugal Under-21 international will move to Parkhead.
Hacken midfielder Romeo Amane, Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski and Brondby talent Mathias Kvistgaarden are all other names who have been mentioned in connection with Celtic in previous weeks. Now, comments from the manager of a known Hoops target have come to light suggesting that Celtic may be moving closer to completing a signing, as cited by a report.
Celtic “advance” in Jung negotiations
As per reports from South Korea, cited by The Daily Record, Celtic have managed to “advance” in negotiations with Gwangju midfielder Jung Ho-Yeon, who was scouted by Hoops’ chiefs in the summer transfer window.
The Hoops have previously dipped into the South Korean market to recruit Yang Hyun-jun and Oh and could now be set to return to familiar territory for the 23-year-old midfielder.
Jung key statistics – K League 1 2023 (Sofascore)
Balls recovered per game
5.4
Tackles per game
2.0
Accurate passes per game
41.3 (90%)
Team of the week inclusions
5
Average match rating
6.99/10
Speaking to local media, Gwangju manager Lee Jung-Hyo detailed the latest on the situation, stating: “Jung Ho-Yeon is currently in talks to advance to Europe from Gwangju, but still have a long way to go. If you go to Europe now, you are bound to end up in a clumsy situation. It is wise to prepare well like Cho Gue-sung (who signed for Midtjylland last summer) and choose the team and league well.”
Labelled a “prospect” by Asian football expert Dario Focardi, the South Korea Under-23 international has gone on to make 34 appearances in 2023, registering two goals and three assists (Jung statistics – Transfermarkt).
Celtic will need to attract quality reinforcements if they are to retain their Scottish Premiership title and Jung looks like a midfielder who could add a different dimension to Rodgers’ engine room.
The Celtic January transfer rumour mill has thrown the name of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward, Fabio Silva into the hat.
The 21-year-old was once a £35.6 million club-record transfer for Wolves, but now he is struggling to come off the bench for the bottom-half English Premier League side.
With Brendan Rodgers wanting attacking reinforcements next month at Celtic, the name of Fabio Silva has been mentioned, as reported by TEAMtalk.
Andy Walker has shared that in Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at Celtic, the one-time wonderkid was linked with the club, as he told Go Radio.
But given his struggles at Wolves, it now seems like he will be heading for the exit door in January.
With Brendan Rodgers wanting attacking reinforcements next month at Celtic, the name of Fabio Silva has been mentioned, as reported by TEAMtalk.
Andy Walker has shared that in Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at Celtic, the one-time wonderkid was linked with the club, as he told Go Radio.
But given his struggles at Wolves, it now seems like he will be heading for the exit door in January.
Given the huge sum of money Wolves paid for Fabio Silva, and the fact that his contract runs until 2026, then there’s no chance of a permanent move to Celtic.
But never rule out a loan deal, with Andy Walker talking about how the versatile forward has ‘skill’ and ‘ability’ in his game.
Celtic’s transfer links with Wolves’ Fabio Silva
“He was on Celtic’s radar a number of years ago,” said Walker. “I remember doing a game down south and he was playing for Wolves. They were all talking about the interest from Celtic.
Approach made: Celtic ask about move to sign “highly talented” £15M striker, they’ ve had a reply
The Scottish Premiership side are looking to bolster their attacking ranks in January.
Celtic have made an approach to ask about a deal to bring one of their long-term targets to the Scottish Premiership, according to a fresh report that has emerged.
Hoops eyeing Kvistgaarden
Ahead of January, Brendan Rodgers will be assessing his options in the market to see if there are any players he could strengthen his squad with. One recently identified is Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden if claims are to be believed.
The Bhoys are reportedly preparing an improved offer for the striker having seen their opening bid turned down over the summer, but should a deal for him fail to come to fruition for whatever reason, the hierarchy appear to have alternative centre-forward targets.
Sturm Graz’s Szymon Wlodarczyk only put pen to paper at his club during the previous window from Gornik Zabrze where he’s so far made 28 appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Wlodarczyk statistics), but he was on the board’s radar long before his most recent move.
Back in January, Mark Hendry first claimed that Poland’s youth international was of interest to the green and white stripes, though a switch hasn’t yet taken place, hence why he moved elsewhere, and it still sounds like the 20-year-old won’t be making the trip to Glasgow anytime soon despite new efforts.
Celtic submit enquiry for Wlodarczyk
According to Football Scotland, Celtic have asked about signing Wlodarczyk again next month, but after learning his price tag in a response from Sturm Graz, have decided that they couldn’t afford to complete a deal in January.
“Football Scotland can also reveal Celtic reached out to Sturm Graz in an effort to revisit another former transfer target, Szymon Wlodarczyk, but were told his valuation has sky-rocketed to around £15m which would financially be out of their reach in January.”
Wlodarczyk is a “highly talented” striker
Since joining Sturm Graz, Wlodarczyk has racked up 11 contributions (nine goals and two assists) from 28 appearances, displaying how prolific he can be in the final third, and he’s able to pose a constant threat to the opposition’s defence in the attacking areas of the pitch.
Sponsored by Adidas, Walbrzych’s native has recorded 32 shots over the course of the current campaign which is more than any other of his fellow teammates, highlighting what a standout performer he is in front of the net compared to his peers (FBRef – Sturm Graz statistics).
Standing at 6 foot 2, Rodgers’ target is also able to provide a real physical presence up top with his height, with his ability to win aerial duels making him a real handful for any backline to deal with, alongside how dangerous he can be with the ball at his feet.
Described by football scout Jacek Kulig, Wlodarczyk is a “highly talented” player with an extremely bright future ahead of him, but with Celtic not set to splash the cash to get their long-term target in the coming weeks, it could prove to be a blow considering the positive impact that he may have been able to make.
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Chloe is an experienced football journalist and podcaster having worked in the sports media industry for the past three years.
Combining her love of the beautiful game with a passion for writing, Chloe started out creating and editing articles for Our MFC before going on to cover the Euro 2020 tournament with Overtime Sports Online.
In March 2022, Chloe was selected to join the academy team at Snack Media and later secured the role of freelance writer for The Transfer Tavern before moving over to the company’s flagship site, Football FanCast.
Chloe is also a huge Stoke City supporter having been a season ticket holder at the Bet365 Stadium for over a decade.
The Austalian was usually placid on the dugout at Celtic Park but showed his angry side
Ange Postecoglou was fuming with the Bournemouth bench
Ange Postecoglou cuts a routinely cool figure in the dugout as Tottenham just as he did at Celtic Park.
But earlier this afternoon, during his side’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth in the Premier League, the Australian lost that cool in a touchline bust-up with the Cherries staff. Postecoglou was livid at the visitors in London after Alejo Véliz picked up a knock during the game. The striker remained on the deck and Bournemouth’s players seemingly played on, perhaps by advice from their coaches, and that left the 58-year-old raging and he made his feelings known.
Ange had to be held back by players on his own side as well as his coaching staff as he made a beeline towards Andoni Iraola’s dugout.
The former Hoops boss was pointing fingers as he raged but was eventually urged to calm down.
Spurs secured the victory to stay fifth in the division thanks to goals from Pape Sarr, Son Hueng-Min and Richarlison. Alex Scott netted a consolation.
Todd Cantwell is Rangers pantomime villain and my painful Celtic reminder proves need for calm – Barry Ferguson
The former Ibrox captain and Record Sport columnist is licking his lips ahead of a mouthwatering showdown at Parkhead.
Rangers’ Todd Cantwell celebrates with James Tavernier (Image: SNS Group)
Todd Cantwell appears to have developed into the pantomime villain of Scottish football with fans of every team apart from Rangers lining up to give him abuse.
And there’s no doubt he’ll get it tight from 60,000 Celtic supporters at lunchtime on Saturday. It’s going to take real mental strength for the Rangers playmaker to block it out and concentrate on doing what he does best, which is bringing energy and creativity to a team that is thriving under Philippe Clement.
Look, I know it’s not easy and there have been times I’ve been unable to practice what I’mer preaching. August 2000, Parkhead. 6-2 to Celtic and I’m up the tunnel early for two bookings, the second coming after a bit of daft handbags with Jonathan Gould. Let me tell you, that walk off the pitch and into the dressing room should take 10 seconds but it felt like 10 minutes. Then there’s the wait on your own inside for the final whistle. There’s no lonelier place in football.
And yet, I used that experience as fuel after I served my ban. The next time we played Celtic, we beat them 5-1 at our place. That’s the rollercoaster ride that comes with being at the Old Firm and Cantwell seems to thrive on the experience. Yes, he can get involved in the odd bit of silliness that makes him a target, but he can play and right now he is the creative spark that is vital to this run Rangers take into the Old Firm clash.
They’ll also go into it fresher than they would have been if the Ross County game had been played on Wednesday. But that’s a double-edged sword. Yes, the likes of Connor Goldson, who came off against Motherwell late on, will have had more recovery time, but from a player’s perspective, I always wanted to play when the team is going well. So, I’d rather have played the Ross County game and kept the momentum going, because that’s certainly what Rangers have got at the moment.
When you’re winning games, you want to play as many as you can. Right now, Rangers are flying and the manner in which they coped with the conditions at Fir Park on Christmas Eve told me everything about the mentality Clement has instilled in his men very quickly.
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Rangers’ Kieran Dowell celebrates (Image: SNS Group)
I’m only 10 miles from Motherwell, so I know what the weather was like. I was on a walk on Sunday morning and it was horrendous.
I was thinking: as a footballer, these are the worst conditions to play in. Rain isn’t a problem. The odd day when it’s a scorcher, you can deal with that – but wind is horrendous. I hated it and thought to myself, this is one of those days when you get in and out of Fir Park as quickly as possible with three points. The start of the game won the game for Rangers. They were positive and ruthless and had the points won before Motherwell could get a foothold in the game after half time when Stuart Kettlewell had obviously got into his players at the break.
But it was a professional performance from my old team. Job done. What has really impressed me is the way in which they’ve coped with so many injuries and continued to find a way to win. I don’t think anybody in their right mind would have predicted that Rangers would be going into such a crucial spell with Dujon Sterling and Kieren Dowell as the midfield partnership, but they were outstanding at the weekend.
Sterling has been a revelation in that role. He is like a stallion in the middle of the pitch. Big, strong, mobile and athletic but more than that, he can see and play a pass. With Ryan Jack, Nico Raskin, Jose Cifuentes and then John Lundstram all injured, you are thinking there’s a problem. But I always believe there’s a window of opportunity for somebody to come in and show that they can do a job and operate in different positions.
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The prime example is Dujon Sterling and when Clement has all his midfielders available, the big fella will be giving him a pleasant headache because he has made a really strong argument for staying in the team. He was outstanding in the cup final and really good in the second half against Real Betis in Seville when he came on at the break, so he’s shown he can handle big pressure situations.
That said, the manager will be hoping Lundstram and Goldson are fit for Saturday. They are both big game players and they don’t come much bigger than one. Celtic might not have been hitting the heights recently, but back to back wins have steadied their ship and they carry a huge threat from middle to front with Matt O’Riley playing really well, Daizen Maeda back from injury and Luis Palma a threat out wide. Then there’s Kyogo, who has a good recent record against Rangers.
The Ibrox support, watching in the pubs or at home on their TVs, will be confident and with some justification because of how they’ve handled every challenge thrown at them. This might be the biggest one yet. Have they got the mentality to handle it? I think they do.
Transfer Latest – Jeong Ho-Yeon close to joining Celtic
Celtic are apparently close to expanding their Asian contingent in the January transfer window, with the speculation that they are chasing Jung Ho-Yeon…
The Gwangju FC star is edging closer to a move to European football and his manager, Lee Jung-Hyo, has recently stating that a move to the Scottish Premiership Champions was in the offing and advancing.
The midfielder won the K-League Young Player of the Year in his homeland after helping them to a third-place finish domestically.
Highly-rated in South Korea, the engine room man is apparently a good tackler and could provide that something different in the middle of the park for the Hoops, which has been badly lacking for some time now.
The player himself has revealed that he is due to move this coming window to a European club and Celtic was named when asked directly about the speculation. As reported by Chosun, he said: “A move into into Europe is slowly getting closer.
During the last season, scouts from some European clubs, including Celtic, came to see me play in person. If I could choose a league, I want to play in the Spanish Primera Liga. From an early age, I loved FC Barcelona’s style of football.”
If this one turns out to be true, it will have to be a success as the club can no longer afford to give players settling in time and grace periods. Yang Hyun-jun and Kwon Hyeok-kyu have both came to the Scottish club and neither have been at the level yet. Now, that’s not to say they cannot become good players in the future, but as it stands, Celtic have a backlog of players that we need to clear off the books permanently or develop elsewhere in the meantime.
Ian Wright’s Celtic story stuns Gary Neville as Roy Keane delivers wild retort
Ian Wright Celtic history leaves Gary Neville gob-smacked as Roy Keane delivers savage one-liner
Arsenal legend Wright spent four months at Parkhead after being signed as a short-term replacement for injured Henrik Larsson
STICK TO FOOTBALL QUIZ WITH PADDY MCGUINNESS
It goes without saying that Ian Wright’s best years were well behind him when the Arsenal legend pitched up at Celtic Park in 1999.
So much so that close pal and Manchester United legend Gary Neville didn’t even know he played for the Hoops! It’s a period in history that Celtic fans would rather erase from memory, and that’s why Wright’s short stint in Glasgow was a forgettable one.
Following Henrik Larsson’s horror leg break in Lyon, boss John Barnes turned to his ex-England teammate by signing the striker from West Ham on a short-term deal. A player in the twilight of his career and living on past glories, it’s fair to say Wright’s time at Parkhead didn’t go to plan as he scored just three times and came on as a second-half sub during that infamous Scottish Cup defeat to Inverness Caley Thistle.
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Barnes paid the price with his job that night and it wasn’t long before Wright followed him out the door, returning south with Burnley where he eventually pulled the curtain down on his impressive career.
Best known for his iconic years at Crystal Palace and Arsenal, Wright’s association with Celtic left Neville gob-smacked as the Stick to Football pundit and sidekick Jamie Carragher were asked by quiz host Paddy McGuinness to list the clubs the goalscoring frontman played for. After Liverpool hero Carragher answered Celtic, astonished Neville turned to Wright and exclaimed: “You went to Celtic?”
Before Wright could get a word in, devilish Roy Keane – who also spent a short spell at Parkhead – immediately dished out a savage one-liner and teased: “He was up there… he didn’t play, did he?”
Justifying his move to Celtic, Wright explained: “I had a period of my career where I was bouncing from one club to another trying to finish in 2000.”
The 60-year-old added: “I played for Nottingham Forest for a month’s loan before I went to Celtic. So it was Palace, Arsenal and West Ham. Then Forest on loan, Celtic and Burnley. I had four clubs in one season, you can’t do that anymore. Me and Harry Redknapp didn’t get on so he blew me out at West Ham. I went on loan to Forest, then Henrik Larsson got injured so I went to Celtic.
“It all went wrong, Barnesy was there, then I went to Burnley to finish it off and we got promoted. It’s a beautiful story.”
You can watch the full Stick to Football episode in the video player above.
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Join Football Scotland’s Celtic WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our Celtic WhatsApp community today.
You’ll receive daily updates on breaking Hoops news as well as the top headlines from Parkhead.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Football Scotland team.
All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!
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Celtic hero Chris Sutton blasts SFA over ’embarrassing’ mic ruling
Celtic hero Chris Sutton has blasted the SFA for their decision to block Hibernian boss Nick Montgomery from being mic’d up during the Edinburgh derby, calling it “embarrassing”.
The Easter Road manager had agreed to fans watching on Sky Sports at home to hear him throughout the fixture after Hibs agreed to a request from the broadcaster.
It would have been a first in Scottish football along with Montgomery’s assistant Sergio Raimundo wearing a body cam.
And Sutton, who provided live commentary for the game, did not hold back when giving his thoughts on the decision.
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Writing on X, he said: “Nick Montgomery was open and happy to be mic’d up for tonight’s Edinburgh derby.
“It would have been fascinating to hear how he worked and his mindset ingame. But for whatever reason the SFA blocked it.
“The SFA are an embarrassment and stuck in the past. Dear me…”
READ MORE: Why Celtic’s Luis Palma is the club’s most dangerous player
Meanwhile, Celtic coach Harry Kewell is poised “to leave the club in the coming days”.
This is according to the Scottish Sun who claim that the Australian “edging closer to being appointed as the new Yokohama F. Marinos boss.”
Kewell did not travel with Brendan Rodgers’ side on Boxing Day as the Hoops defeated Dundee 3-0.
Reports in Australia state that John Hutchinson, who worked with Ange Postecoglou at Marinos, is expected to be his No2.
Rodgers previously confirmed that he would not stand in the way of Kewell joining the former J1 League champions.
He said: “”Harry has already managed before, so it is not new to him. He has had a taste of it and I am always one that if staff members want to broaden their horizons then I am very encouraging of that.
“It is also a sign that you have talented people if other clubs want them.”
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Celtic ‘move forward’ in Prospect talks after summer scouting missions
Celtic “advance” in talks with “prospect” after summer scouting missions
Celtic are in the market for quality in the January window…
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add quality to the ranks at Parkhead in January and his side are now reportedly advancing in negotiations for a known target.
Celtic gearing up for busy January window
Despite a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dundee at Dens Park on Boxing Day, Celtic will be keen to strengthen in January and Rodgers has made his intent to bolster his squad known over the last few weeks.
Speaking earlier this month cited via Sky Sports, the Irishman signalled his intention to add a high calibre of player mid-season, as he stated: “There’s no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and obviously we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That’s something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on.”
Boost for Rodgers as Celtic make aggressive January call on Matt O’Riley
Bringing in a striker has become a priority for the Hoops and their need is exacerbated by the fact that Kyogo Furuhashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Daizen Maeda could all head off to represent their respective nations on Asian Cup duty. Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Fabio Silva is believed to have been offered on loan as a potential short-term solution to the Scottish Premiership champions’ conceivable shortage of frontmen and it remains to be seen whether the Portugal Under-21 international will move to Parkhead.
Hacken midfielder Romeo Amane, Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski and Brondby talent Mathias Kvistgaarden are all other names who have been mentioned in connection with Celtic in previous weeks. Now, comments from the manager of a known Hoops target have come to light suggesting that Celtic may be moving closer to completing a signing, as cited by a report.
Celtic “advance” in Jung negotiations
As per reports from South Korea, cited by The Daily Record, Celtic have managed to “advance” in negotiations with Gwangju midfielder Jung Ho-Yeon, who was scouted by Hoops’ chiefs in the summer transf er window.
The Hoops have previously dipped into the South Korean market to recruit Yang Hyun-jun and Oh and could now be set to return to familiar territory for the 23-year-old midfielder.
Jung key statistics – K League 1 2023 (Sofascore)
Balls recovered per game
5.4
Tackles per game
2.0
Accurate passes per game
41.3 (90%)
Team of the week inclusions
5
Average match rating
6.99/10
Speaking to local media, Gwangju manager Lee Jung-Hyo detailed the latest on the situation, stating: “Jung Ho-Yeon is currently in talks to advance to Europe from Gwangju, but still have a long way to go. If you go to Europe now, you are bound to end up in a clumsy situation. It is wise to prepare well like Cho Gue-sung (who signed for Midtjylland last summer) and choose the team and league well.”
Labelled a “prospect” by Asian football expert Dario Focardi, the South Korea Under-23 international has gone on to make 34 appearances in 2023, registering two goals and three assists (Jung statistics – Transfermarkt).
Celtic will need to attract quality reinforcements if they are to retain their Scottish Premiership title and Jung looks like a midfielder who could add a different dimension to Rodgers’ engine room.
The Celtic January transfer rumour mill has thrown the name of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward, Fabio Silva into the hat.
The 21-year-old was once a £35.6 million club-record transfer for Wolves, but now he is struggling to come off the bench for the bottom-half English Premier League side.
With Brendan Rodgers wanting attacking reinforcements next month at Celtic, the name of Fabio Silva has been mentioned, as reported by TEAMtalk.
Andy Walker has shared that in Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at Celtic, the one-time wonderkid was linked with the club, as he told Go Radio.
But given his struggles at Wolves, it now seems like he will be heading for the exit door in January.
With Brendan Rodgers wanting attacking reinforcements next month at Celtic, the name of Fabio Silva has been mentioned, as reported by TEAMtalk.
Andy Walker has shared that in Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at Celtic, the one-time wonderkid was linked with the club, as he told Go Radio.
But given his struggles at Wolves, it now seems like he will be heading for the exit door in January.
Given the huge sum of money Wolves paid for Fabio Silva, and the fact that his contract runs until 2026, then there’s no chance of a permanent move to Celtic.
But never rule out a loan deal, with Andy Walker talking about how the versatile forward has ‘skill’ and ‘ability’ in his game.
Celtic’s transfer links with Wolves’ Fabio Silva
“He was on Celtic’s radar a number of years ago,” said Walker. “I remember doing a game down south and he was playing for Wolves. They were all talking about the interest from Celtic.
Approach made: Celtic ask about move to sign “highly talented” £15M striker, they’ ve had a reply
The Scottish Premiership side are looking to bolster their attacking ranks in January.
Celtic have made an approach to ask about a deal to bring one of their long-term targets to the Scottish Premiership, according to a fresh report that has emerged.
Hoops eyeing Kvistgaarden
Ahead of January, Brendan Rodgers will be assessing his options in the market to see if there are any players he could strengthen his squad with. One recently identified is Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden if claims are to be believed.
The Bhoys are reportedly preparing an improved offer for the striker having seen their opening bid turned down over the summer, but should a deal for him fail to come to fruition for whatever reason, the hierarchy appear to have alternative centre-forward targets.
Sturm Graz’s Szymon Wlodarczyk only put pen to paper at his club during the previous window from Gornik Zabrze where he’s so far made 28 appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Wlodarczyk statistics), but he was on the board’s radar long before his most recent move.
Back in January, Mark Hendry first claimed that Poland’s youth international was of interest to the green and white stripes, though a switch hasn’t yet taken place, hence why he moved elsewhere, and it still sounds like the 20-year-old won’t be making the trip to Glasgow anytime soon despite new efforts.
Celtic submit enquiry for Wlodarczyk
According to Football Scotland, Celtic have asked about signingg Wlodarczyk again next month, but after learning his price tag in a response from Sturm Graz, have decided that they couldn’t afford to complete a deal in January.
“Football Scotland can also reveal Celtic reached out to Sturm Graz in an effort to revisit another former transfer target, Szymon Wlodarczyk, but were told his valuation has sky-rocketed to around £15m which would financially be out of their reach in January.”
Wlodarczyk is a “highly talented” striker
Since joining Sturm Graz, Wlodarczyk has racked up 11 contributions (nine goals and two assists) from 28 appearances, displaying how prolific he can be in the final third, and he’s able to pose a constant threat to the opposition’s defence in the attacking areas of the pitch.
Sponsored by Adidas, Walbrzych’s native has recorded 32 shots over the course of the current campaign which is more than any other of his fellow teammates, highlighting what a standout performer he is in front of the net compared to his peers (FBRef – Sturm Graz statistics).
Standing at 6 foot 2, Rodgers’ target is also able to provide a real physical presence up top with his height, with his ability to win aerial duels making him a real handful for any backline to deal with, alongside how dangerous he can be with the ball at his feet.
Described by football scout Jacek Kulig, Wlodarczyk is a “highly talented” player with an extremely bright future ahead of him, but with Celtic not set to splash the cash to get their long-term target in the coming weeks, it could prove to be a blow considering the positive impact that he may have been able to make.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.
Chloe is an experienced football journalist and podcaster having worked in the sports media industry for the past three years.
Combining her love of the beautiful game with a passion for writing, Chloe started out creating and editing articles for Our MFC before going on to cover the Euro 2020 tournament with Overtime Sports Online.
In March 2022, Chloe was selected to join the academy team at Snack Media and later secured the role of freelance writer for The Transfer Tavern before moving over to the company’s flagship site, Football FanCast.
Chloe is also a huge Stoke City supporter having been a season ticket holder at the Bet365 Stadium for over a And.
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