Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers 'tipped' for shock move as Steven Naismith makes Lawrence Shankland admission

The eyes of the world will be on the Scottish Premiership this weekend as title holders Celtic play host to fierce-city rivals Rangers in the first Old-Firm Derby of the Philippe Clement era.

Celtic will see the game as the perfect chance to build further momentum in the title race. The Hoops are five points clear of the Gers after 20 games, although their rivals still have two games in hand to bridge the gap.

The Glasgow rivals met earlier in the season in September with striker Kyogo Furuhashi delivering the decisive winner for Celtic in a 1-0 victory which silenced the Ibrox faithful.

Both sides are optimistic about their chances of winning the title this season and the January transfer window could prove to be a decisive factor in deciding both teams’ trajectory in the next few months.

With that in mind Glasgow World has rounded up all of the biggest stories surrounding Celtic and Rangers.

Brendan Rodgers tipped to make shock Premier League return

Brendan Rodgers has only been back at Celtic Park for six months, but now finds himself in the mix for a Premier League return with one of the division’s biggest teams. The ex-Leicester City boss is reportedly one of the frontrunners to succeed Eddie Howe at Newcastle United if the Magpies boss is sacked.

Howe’s position in the St James’ Park dugout has been under scrutiny by some sections of the media, despite his team's excellent performances last season. In recent weeks, the Magpies have been eliminated from the Champions League and Carabao Cup, while their league form, particularly away from home, has plummeted in recent weeks with the club falling down to 8th in the table.

Rodgers was considered one of the favourites for the role before Howe’s appointment in 2021 and the two time Scottish Premiership winner was considered alongside both Unai Emery and Antonio Conte at the time.

Newcastle are expected to be busy in the transfer window in the next few weeks and face a crucial month of football with fixtures such as Liverpool, Sunderland and Manchester City all coming up in 2024.

Steven Naismith makes Lawrence Shankland admission amid Rangers links

Lawrence Shankland is one of the best performing players in the Scottish Premiership and his tally of 11 goals for Hearts makes him the highest scoring player in the division.

His impressive form has been the catalyst for Hearts’ strong league position this term and the Edinburgh giants are currently third in the league and on course to qualify for Europe.

The striker's form has prompted attention from Rangers who have been heavily linked with a move for the attacker in recent weeks. Shankland himself told the Scotsman that decisions about his future will be made by those “beyond his pay grade.”

While manager Naismith admitted that the club are preparing for every eventuality with Shankland. The Hearts boss told Sky Sports news: “When you’re doing well there’s always interest. I’ve always said the Scottish league is not a league that can decide when players leave or when they don’t. Every club in Scotland has the same idea that at some point players move on but as a club we are in a great situation.

“We’ve got a great structure, we are trying to be progressive and develop on and off the pitch and Shanks is a big part of that but there’s always going to be interest there, when you’re doing well, I understand that. As a club, we are comfortable with the situation and what might happen. We are ready for all eventual outcomes.”