Rangers hero wanted for free agent transfer by an ex-boss as Premiership manager in ominous Celtic statement

Celtic face an away trip to Kilmarnock as they look to keep the pace with Aberdeen at the top.

They beat RB Leipzig 3-1 in the Champions League last time out. Rangers lock horns with Hearts at home as they look to close the gap on the top two. Here is a look at some of the latest news regarding the pair...

Kilmarnock boss statement

Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes believes Celtic’s current squad can be better than Brendan Rodgers’ Invinsibles team. The Hoops head to Killie as they look to keep their run of form in the league going.

McInnes has said: “I think there’s more speed about this Celtic team. There’s a different dynamic about them, as good as that team was and should be remembered as in 2017. Both teams are slightly different but the approach is still the same.

“I think there’s maybe a bit more growth in this Celtic side potentially, if they're allowed to grow. Matt O’Riley left in the summer but they replaced him with Arne Engels. So they lost arguably their best player - but they actually look like a better team. The investment they've made is helping the manager develop this team.”

He added: “On Tuesday night, they looked like a mature team at that level. Everyone was so damning in the fallout from their defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

“They were damning on Celtic, Brendan and Scottish football. People who should probably know better said Celtic couldn’t compete with the top Bundesliga teams. But they got a brilliant result against Leipzig, so it can be done. Their performance was very good and a really good reference for Brendan and his team. It was a top level performance and expectations have been raised there because investment was made in the team for Europe.

“It was a good night for them, so they’ll come here in good form on Sunday. Brendan’s a top operator and has shown that for years now. He’ll have taken a lot of pleasure from that result - but he’ll also recognise that it will be different here at Rugby Park. He’ll know what to expect.”

Ex-Rangers man eyed

According to reporter Alan Nixon on his Patreon page, former Rangers winger Ryan Kent is wanted by Preston North End. The attacker is a free agent following his recent exit from Fenerbahce and is weighing up his options in the game.

Kent, who is 27-years-old, was on the books at Ibrox from 2019 to 2023 and made 218 appearances in all competitions during his days in Glasgow, scoring 33 goals. However, he struggled to make an impact after moving over to Turkey last year and could now return closer to home.

The Oldham-born man rose up through the academy ranks at Liverpool and represented the Premier League giants at various different youth levels before going on to play once competitively for their first-team. He was loaned out from Anfield as a youngster to Coventry City, SC Freiburg, Barnsley and Bristol City to get experience. He played under Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom at Barnsley.