Celtic’s 25-goal striker target made available in huge January boost as Rangers’ European rival sings praises of ex-striker
The latest talking points from Celtic and Rangers following Brendan Rodgers’ bombshell resignation
After an explosive Monday night of drama at Parkhead, Celtic are now preparing for their first match in over two seasons without Brendan Rodgers in the dugout.
Rodgers resigned from his position as Celtic boss just over 24 hours after his side’s 3-1 defeat to Parkhead. This prompted a heated response from club owner Dermot Desmond, who slammed the former Leicester City boss for focusing on his ‘desire for self-preservation at the expense of others.’
For the time being, Martin O’Neill, a man credited with starting Celtic’s era of dominance, is back in the dugout aged 73 for the first time in six years. He last managed the Hoops in 2005 and recently claimed on talkSPORT that Hearts had a great chance of winning the league while staying at Rangers were simply not a threat.
Rangers, who are in action against Hibs tomorrow night, face Celtic at the weekend in what promises to be a hugely intriguing Scottish League Cup semi-final showdown. Following a potentially season-defining 24-hours, we take a look at the latest headlines in a turbulent week of Scottish football.
Celtic handed fresh opportunity to sign 25-goal striker target
Highly-rated Romanian striker Louis Munteanu is expected to be made available for transfer in the January window.
Celtic expressed an interest in signing the 23-year-old over the summer after his incredible 25-goal season for CFR Cluj last season. However, their bid believed to be in the region of 8 million euro (£7m) was rejected by the Romanian cup holders, who were believed to be seeking around 23 million euro (£20m) to get a deal over the line.
The Hoops were one of several clubs interested, with the likes of Ajax and Valencia all keeping tabs on the footballer. However, Cluj president Iuliu Muresan has admitted he will look to sell the striker in 2026 amid a plethora of financial problems.
“The transfer of Louis Munteanu would be a priority for us,” Muresan told GSP (via The Daily Record).
“Given our financial problems, selling Munteanu would certainly be a big breath of fresh air. And especially for as much as possible if it were.”
Ex-Rangers forward continues fine start to life at Lille
Lille boss Bruno Genesio says £10.4m signing Hamza Igamane has very big potential, adding that he’s been very impressed with the way the Moroccan has adapted to his new surroundings.
Igamane has seven goals in 13 appearances so far, including three in the Europa League and has been a standout performer in that competition. He’d had a bright first season at Ibrox on the whole but left on a sour note after publicly falling out with Russell Martin and apparently refusing to appear as a substitute for the team against St Mirren.
"For now, I see him more as a centre forward. He's an unpredictable player in the last 30 meters,” said Genesio via Rangers Review.
"We saw that in the goal he scored in Nantes. He has a favourable counterattack, but he goes for it because he has the conviction that he will succeed.
"He's a player who still has a lot of freshness, who is capable of scoring improbable goals in incredible situations. These are important qualities for a striker and has very big potential. Having him as close as possible to the goal is better for us."