Celtic ‘plan' £500k January swoop for Man City goalkeeper as Rangers hero makes powerful Youssef Chermiti plea
The latest news headlines surrounding Celtic and Rangers on Monday afternoon
Celtic’s managerial situation continues to attract plenty of speculation with Martin O’Neill still in temporary charge, while Rangers are enjoying a mini revival under new head coach Danny Rohl.
With the January transfer window just around the corner, the Hoops will be eyeing several reinforcement with midfielder pair David Watson and Hossam Essadak linked with the club last week, while Rangers will also see a fair amount of movement in both directions.
Here’s the latest news and transfer headlines surrounding both clubs:
Manchester City keeper linked with January move to Celtic
While Kasper Schmeichel remains Celtic’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for the time being, the veteran Danish shot-stopper is in the final year of his contract at Parkhead, and turns 39 this week.
There have been questions raised about his form this season and it’s been reported by The Star on Sunday that the Hoops are planning a £500,000 January move for Manchester City keeper Stefan Ortega.
The 33-year-old German finds himself well down the pecking order at the Etihad with James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma competing for the No.1 spot. Ortega has made just one matchday squad this term, and will be eyeing more game time elsewhere.
He started last season’s FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace and previously served as understudy to Ederson as City won a historic treble in his debut campaign.
Ortega didn’t make his Bundesliga debut until the age of 27, when earning promotion with Arminia Bielefeld. He would spend just two years in the German top-flight before leaving on a free transfer to join City in a surprise transfer.
Former Rangers striker tips £8m signing to prove doubters wrong
Duncan Ferguson is convinced misfiring big-money summer arrival Youssef Chermiti can silence his critics who believe his lofty £8million price tag was money down the drain.
The Portuguese youth international has scored just one goals since arriving at Ibrox from Premier League side Everton, but Toffees legend Ferguson knows better than most about the weight of expectation Chermiti is currently shouldering.
Ferguson, himself netted just twice in 14 outings for the Light Blues after joining his boyhood heroes from Dundee United in 1993 and is aware Chermiti is already in danger of being branded a flop.
He said: “Moving to Rangers is a massive adjustment for any player – and people need to remember that Chermiti is only still 21 years old and needs time to find his feet.
“Nothing prepares you for being a Rangers player. I was the same age as him when I made the move and was too young to make the most of that opportunity and it’s a huge regret.
“Chermiti has all the attributes to be successful. What’s missing are the magic ingredients that all strikers need – luck and confidence. The transfer fee is something he needs to forget about.
“He’s clearly a player who the club believe can become the sum of all parts and get his game to a level where he can fulfil the potential he’s had. There’s plenty of time for him to do that. But patience isn’t a virtue you find at either of the Old Firm clubs.
“If he can start to relax and get a run of games then he can change opinions. The new manager Danny Rohl is just in the door and has clearly seen enough in training to start him against Celtic and Roma so there’s clearly a lot of trust there.”
Chermiti has yet to prove he will make a telling impact at Rangers, having notched just five senior goals and three assists in 57 appearances. But Ferguson reckons stats can be deceiving.
He added: “Chermiti has huge assets as a striker, he’s big, powerful and can shift. He has decent technical ability and needs to bring that out in his game.
“That comes with confidence and a few goals could unlock a lot of those assets which, up until now, aren’t being used often enough. We’re talking about a kid in football terms. He’s just got to buckle down and focus on his job.