Rodgers could ignite Kyogo with Celtic move for £3m SPFL star.
The Hoops have been touted with an interest in the impressive centre-forward.
Celtic decided to go back to a familiar face last summer as they opted to bring Brendan Rodgers to Parkhead for a second spell in charge of the club.
The Hoops were rocked by Ange Postecoglou’s move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, which culminated in a domestic treble for the Scottish giants.
They will not be able to match, or better, that feat this time around as the Bhoys were knocked out of the League Cup, which was subsequently won by Rangers, by Kilmarnock in August.
Rodgers’ side have also been knocked out of Europe already as Celtic finished bottom of their Champions League group with one win in six matches.
They are currently eight points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership. However, their rivals have two games in hand on them as it stands.
The January transfer window opened for business at the start of last week and the Northern Irish head coach could dip into the market to improve his playing squad.
Celtic transfer news – Lawrence Shankland
Earlier this month, journalist Graeme Bailey reported that Celtic are considering a swoop to sign Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland to improve their attack.
He added that the Scottish club could struggle to keep hold of their skipper in January amid interest from a host of clubs, including a number of English sides.
Teams from the Premier League and the Championship south of the border are said to be keeping an eye on the forward, as per the accompanying report from Bailey’s post.
Everton, Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Sheffield United are the top-flight clubs in England who have been keeping tabs on the Scotland international. Meanwhile, second tier sides Southampton, Hull, and Middlesbrough have also shown an interest in him.
At the end of December, Football Insider reported that Rangers are tracking the Hearts star but look set to be priced out of a move for him this month.
The Premiership team are set to demand a fee of at least £3m and this means that Philippe Clement’s side may not be able to strike a deal until the summer.
This means that Celtic could steal a march on their rivals by swooping to land his services this month, five months before the other team in Glasgow can afford to.
However, they look set to face serious competition from a host of sides in England and may have to hope that Shankland would prefer to remain in his home country instead of wanting to test his luck south of the border in either the Premier League or Championship.
Rodgers could now ignite Kyogo Furuhashi‘s season at Parkhead by swooping to sign the Hearts skipper, who could play alongside him to take the pressure off him in the final third.
Kyogo’s drop-off in form
The Japanese centre-forward, who has not been selected to represent his country at the Asian Cup this month, has not hit top form in a Celtic shirt this season.
Kyogo has failed to replicate the immense form he displayed in front of goal throughout the 2022/23 campaign for Ange Postecoglou in the Premiership.
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old marksman was a prolific scorer for the Hoops in the top-flight with more than one goal every 90 minutes on average.
He proved himself to be a lethal and reliable attacking threat for the Scottish giants throughout the campaign, which earned him the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award for his efforts.
However, the right-footed dynamo has not been able to reach those levels so far this season. Kyogo has produced eight goals and three assists in 22 Premiership games.
The Celtic attacker has found the back of the net once every 190 minutes on average in the top-flight, which is a significant drop-off in form from the previous campaign.
Kyogo has only won 1.3 duels per game, including 0.2 aerial contests per match, in the Premiership this season, and signing a striker who can take on the physical workload whilst also offering a goal threat could be the perfect way to get the best out of him.
The statistics that show why Celtic should sign Shankland
Rodgers must now push for the club to win the race to sign Shankland from Hearts as the Scotland international has the attributes to be that foil for the Japan international.
The Jam Tarts talisman has won 4.0 duels per match, which includes 1.6 in the air, across 21 Premiership appearances this season, and won 4.2 per game across the 2022/23 league campaign.
This suggests that the £3m-rated ace has the physicality to cause problems for defenders and to offer an outball for Celtic when they are under pressure. Whereas, the ball rarely sticks with Kyogo due to his lack of involvement in duels with opposition players when the ball comes forward.
Shankland, who was once lauded as “different class” by journalist Joel Sked, has far more to offer than his ability to win duels against centre-backs, though, as he is also a prolific scorer.
The 28-year-old striker has outperformed Kyogo in front of goal this season with a return of 13 goals in 21 Premiership matches for Hearts – one strike every 145 minutes on average.
As you can see in the table above, Shankland enjoyed a similar level of production during the 2022/23 campaign and this shows that he has been a consistent performer for his side over the last 18 months.
The experienced finisher is a proven SPFL marksman who has showcased his consistency and quality since the start of last season, which suggests that he could hit the ground running at Parkhead if Rodgers is able to strike a deal for him this month.
Shankland’s arrival could then ignite Kyogo’s campaign and help the Japan international to get back to his best by allowing him to focus purely on his work in front of goal instead of needing to compete with opposition defenders in physical battles, either behind the Scottish striker or out on the wing with a license to drift inside into scoring positions.
Celtic would then, in theory, have two prolific centre-forwards who could fire them to success during the second half of the season for Rodgers.
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.”
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