Sporting Director Addressed Celtic Transfer Speculation

Sporting Director Addressed Celtic Transfer Speculation

 

Celtic has recently been at the centre of transfer speculation, with 24-year-old Nicolas Kuhn’s name surfacing as a potential addition to the team.

The versatile player, capable of taking up positions as a right winger or striker, has been strongly linked with a move away from his current club, Rapid Vienna.

Despite the swirling rumours suggesting Kuhn might be headed to Glasgow’s east end this January, Rapid Vienna’s sporting director Markus Katzer has stepped in to quell the expectations.

In a firm declaration of intent, Katzer expressed his belief that the club’s top talents, including Kuhn, are likely to remain with the team through the critical January window.

Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Rangers – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – December 30, 2023 Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

Speaking to the Austrian outlet Kronen Zeitung as cited by RecordSport, Katzer addressed the speculations head-on, stating, “I assume that everyone will be with us in the second half of the season, I haven’t heard anything to the contrary.”

This comment suggests a strong stance from Vienna’s management, seemingly shutting down any immediate hopes of a mid-season transfer.

As the January window unfolds, Celtic fans will be watching for any developments.

While the prospect of acquiring a player of Kuhn’s talent is undoubtedly noteworthy, the latest comments from Vienna’s sporting director indicate that any potential move might have to wait until the summer, if at all. 0

The situation remains fluid, and only time will tell if Celtic can secure the services of Nicolas Kuhn to bolster their squad. One thing is for sure, Celtic need quality reinforcements and not just numbers

Bernardo has settled Celtic left side most spl teams we play have found a chink in our armour from oppisition goal keepers punt aimed at Taylor from headed clearance against Kilmarnock the ball takes a unusual bounce where Kilmarnock players either win it our knock beyond our defence who are facing Hart now Hart is a good goalie but he hasn’t the footwork or passing ability as a outfield player and dosent like coming of his line benardo has made the difference wins second ball either pass it or gets fouled and Celtic players are not facing there own goalkeeper you can see it in Taylor month or so he passed back more than forward now last three games his passing is forward not putting his defenders on back foot this due to benardo balling winning skills and giving players an option for a pass might be he is getting fitter cause of playing regularly his confidence is sky high and so is our left side you seen how much room tavernier got when bernardo was substituted cause ref was under pressure from opposition players to give him a other card always done well to ignore goldson antics when he was the over the top tackle is was not worth it for Celtic go down to 10 men mikey johstone came on and done nothing defensively made the rangers look good Celtic outplayed them before they went down to 10 we should have shown how much there form was down to talk

Celtic transfer reported to Fifa, Rangers offered £10m striker, Hibs primed for new arrival – rumour mill

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

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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 better 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

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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.