Celtic target Newcastle ace that nearly left in January as fresh twist leaves Rangers in position for shock signing

Celtic’s mission to win a fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title could be concluded in the final game before the split as they face Kilmarnock in an intriguing contest at Parkhead this weekend.

The Hoops were beaten by St Johnstone in a poor performance last time out but have the chance to go 16 points clear with a victory in Glasgow, leaving Rangers with no other option but to win against Aberdeen away if they want to have any hopes of extending the season’s title race.

The fixture comes at a difficult time for Rangers as it’s sandwiched between two crucial games against Athletic Bilbao and could result in changes from Barry Ferguson.

It promises to be an intriguing finale in the last few weeks of the season as both teams continue to draw up transfer plans for what they hope can be a productive summer window.

Celtic target experienced Newcastle United star

Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic are believed to be considering a shock move to sign Newcastle United shot-stopper Martin Dubravka in the upcoming summer window.

The Hoops were heavily linked with the Slovakian international throughout last summer after Joe Hart’s retirement from football but eventually opted to make the move to sign former Leicester City hero Kasper Schemeichel on a free transfer.

Schemeichel has brought great stability to the Celtic backline this season and is on course to win a treble in his debut campaign with the club. The 38-year-old Dane has already agreed a new one-year-contract with the club but has recently come under criticism for a few errors, which could lead to further competition from the arrival of Dubravka, who has been reported as a potential target by Newcastle Chronicle.

Speculation over Dubravka’s future comes just months after he agreed a contract extension with Newcastle after being heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in January.

The 36-year-old, who made 179 appearances for Newcastle across all competitions, including 16 this season, was hugely impressive during Nick Pope’s absence and appeared to wave goodbye to supporters in emotional scenes after the club’s semi-final triumph over Arsenal.

He’s under contract until June 2026, meaning any deal surrounding a transfer would need a fee. Newcastle are reported to be interested in James Trafford from Burnley which could push Dubravka down the pecking order.

Rangers have been linked with a shock move for Celtic defender Greg Taylor this summer, via Ibrox News. The 27-year-old’s contract is due to expire this month, meaning he is available to join another club on a free transfer after six solid years with the Hoops.

The 14-time Scotland international was expected to join Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb to work with Italian icon Fabio Cannavaro but that move now could be derailed after the club’s decision to sack the 2006 Ballon d’Or winner.

Kris Boyd believes that he would be an upgrade on the current left-back options at Rangers – Jefte and Ridvan YIlmaz - and has urged the club to try and get the deal done.

Boyd told the Sun: “If you’re Rangers, would you offer Greg Taylor a contract? Just when you think of Yilmaz, Jefte, I think Greg Taylor has shown for a consistent period of time how consistent he has been. If he’s not going to be at Celtic, he said he wants to play regular. You see him switch sides in Glasgow? It’s a genuine question. I know the rivalry between the two clubs but if Brendan Rodgers has said he’s going to move on for regular football. For me, he’s Scottish, he ticks a box.”

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