Premier League club ‘consider’ January bid for Celtic star as Rangers hit out at SPFL decision

Rangers and Celtic return to Scottish Premiership action this weekend after a busy midweek of European action for the two Glasgow giants. Celtic picked up their first Champions League point of the season after a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid. Rangers also drew in Europe, as they played out a goalless draw at Sparta Prague on Thursday night. They sit third in their Europa League group, level on points with Sparta Prague and two points behind league leaders Real Betis.

Celtic are first in action out of the two clubs this weekend as they head to Edinburgh to take on Hibs while Rangers are in action on Sunday against Hearts at Ibrox. Celtic currently have a seven-point lead over their rivals after nine league matches.

Brentford ‘considering’ O’Riley bid

Premier League outfit Brentford are ‘considering’ a January bid for Celtic star Matt O’Riley, per a report from TEAMtalk. The midfielder has been a stand-out player for the Glasgow club since moving to Scotland in January 2022. He was strongly linked with Leeds during the summer but remained at Celtic and penned a new long-term deal in September, which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2027.

Celtic were said to have rejected a £10m bid from the Whites in the summer, with Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers addressing Leeds’ interest last month. He said: “I didn’t think we could afford to lose another starter and the club were very supportive on that. They were great. We had obviously lost Carl Starfelt and lost Jota, and we knew Cameron Carter-Vickers was going to be out for a while.

“I didn’t feel we could lose another one. But of course, that’s all on the player as well. If the player really wants to move, then I’m also a believer that if he doesn’t want to be here then don’t be here. Matt knows that I’m investing in him to help him become better. He still knows he’s got a bit to improve. And hopefully this part of the season is confirmation for him that I can still improve him. Certainly his value will increase in 12 months’ time.”

O’Riley has scored six goals in nine league games for Celtic this term, with Rodgers’ side seven points clear of rivals Rangers already. He has played 85 times for the Hoops, scoring 14 goals and providing 20 assists. His most recent assist came in the midweek Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid.

Rangers issue statement on festive fixture changes

Rangers have issued a statement to express their disappointment at their visit to Motherwell being moved from December 23 to Christmas Eve. The club feels it is an unnecessary change and feels it will have a negative impact on supporters.

A club statement read: “Sky Sports’ movement of the match to Christmas Eve, a day where many supporters will have other plans and also, where public transport is limited, feels unnecessary given the potential broadcast slots available to them on the Saturday. The club also learned of this fixture change only an hour prior to its external announcement, which allowed no time for any dialogue or debate with either Sky Sports or the SPFL.

“Sky Sports are a valued league partner, and as a club, we enjoy a strong working relationship with them. This decision, however, is extremely poor and shows a lack of regard to our supporters.”

Motherwell also expressed frustration over the lack of notice from broadcasters. They said on their website: “We believe that moving a major fixture to this date is a special circumstance that should’ve led to additional consultation/discussion with the club. We can only apologise to supporters who will be inconvenienced by this move and especially to those who will no longer be able to attend the game. We understand this move is particularly inconvenient for fans who had booked pre-match hospitality, which was already sold out.”