Rangers hit with wage demands setback as former Celtic man gets green light

Celtic and Rangers face a busy week of action as they juggle balance the demands of a title push and European football.

The Premiership holders will aim to extend their unbeaten league record in the league to 14 games when they play host to eighth place Motherwell before travelling to the Italian capital to take on Serie A giants Lazio in the Champions League. 

Celtic’s hopes of securing an automatic spot in the group are very slim after their 6-0 loss to Atletico Madrid, but back-to-back wins against Lazio and Feyenoord could boost the Hoops’ hopes of at least reaching the Europa League knockout phase. 

Title-chasers Rangers travel to Aberdeen at the weekend in a crucial match which will test both side’s credentials before their Viaplay Cup final next month. The Gers will also look to secure automatic qualification for the knockout stage of the Europa League when they play host to Aris Limassol. The upcoming month of fixtures is arguably the most hectic period in the season so far and both side’s are likely to look to the transfer window in the winter to boost their chances of success. With that in mind GlasgowWorld rounds up all of the latest transfer stories in relation to both Celtic and Rangers.

Rangers priced out of deal to re-sign former star (Gazete Vatan)

Earlier this week, out-of-favour Fenerbahce man Ryan Kent was reportedly given the green light to leave the club in January which prompted rumours of a Rangers return just six months after his Ibrox departure.

Kent has been a frustrated figure on the fringes of the squad in Istanbul and has been limited to just seven first team appearances, he has also been publicly criticised for his performances and fitness by manager Ismail Kartal. 

The 27-year-old was a key player for Rangers, particularly during Steven Gerrard’s tenure as manager and reports from the Daily Record had initially stated that the Gers were keen to bring the player back to boost the team’s title push under Philippe Clement.

However, such talk has quickly been dismissed by new reports from Turkish outlet Vatan who claim that the salary demands that the Glasgow club would have to cover have proven too much.

Fenerbahce are now believed to be considering other potential options for the player including Bournemouth and Leeds United.

New Premier League development paves the way for Jota transfer (Daily Record)

Celtic, like Rangers, were forced to part ways with one of their top wingers in the summer transfer window as treble winner Jota completed a £25m switch to the Saudi Pro League to join the likes of Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante at Al-Ittihad.

The Portuguese winger was a star throughout his time in the Scottish Premiership and was a key source of flair and creativity in the team. However, like Kent, he has received very little first team exposure at his new club.

Jota was almost instantly linked with a move away from Al-Ittihad in the summer when he was left out of the league squad due to the club’s foreign quota on players and reports from the Daily Record suggest he could be a target for the likes of Newcastle and Tottenham in January.

A recent development from the Premier League voted in favour of club’s loaning players within the same ownership which opens the door for Eddie Howe to sign the player amid the Magpies’ injury crisis.

While Jota’s former coach Ange Postecoglou may also see the player as an ideal option for Spurs, particularly with the club’s recent injury woes.