Celtic transfer target ‘considers’ exit as Rangers boss ‘wants’ to tie down starlet on new deal

Celtic and Rangers shift their focus back on to European competition this week, with the Hoops needing to beat Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital to keep their Champions League qualificiation hopes alive and Rangers welcome Sparta Prague to Ibrox in the Europa League.

The Scottish champions ran out 3-0 winners over Ross County on league duty at the weekend, while their rivals and closest title challengers advanced to the Viaplay Cup final after knocking out Hearts 3-1 at Hampden Park.

Meanwhile, there is still plenty of transfer news stories making the headlines at the start of a new weeks. Here is the latest Celtic and Rangers gossip on Monday, November 6:

Celtic transfer target ‘considers’ Brondby exit

Celtic transfer target Mathias Kvistgaarden admits he is considering a move away from Brondby in January - putting the Scottish champions on high alert.

The Denmark Under-21 international - who has 10 goal contributions in 15 appearance so far this season - was on the Brendan Rodgers’ radar during the summer and reports suggested the Hoops had a £4million bid rejected.

It’s rumoured that Rodgers will look to bolster his attacking options in the near future as he looks to ease the burden on talisman Kyogo Furuhashi, the team’s main source of goals. And another move for Kvistgaarden - under contract at Brondby until 2027 - is reportedly being weighed up, but the Danish club remain reluctant to their their homegrown talent go.

Kvistgaarden previously labelled the Glasgow giants a “huge club” when quizzed about their summer interest and it is now believed several other top European clubs are tracking his progress.

He told Tipsbladet: “I’m, of course, thinking about the future, but right now, I’m keeping my focus on the present. We have many matches left in this season, but the goal is if I can produce as many good performances as possible, which will be able to help me in terms of my own future.

“There’s no doubt that it’s interesting. Big clubs were supposedly present there (Brøndby’s match against FC Nordsjælland). I would be lying if I said otherwise. But I don’t want to dwell too much on such matters because I’m afraid it could divert my focus from the game on the field.

“It’s hard to say which league suits me best. It varies depending on what people think and how they see me as a player in terms of where I belong. The Bundesliga is a great league, and it could be a fun place to play. But it also depends on the specific team and how they play.”

Rangers boss ‘wants’ to tie down Ibrox youngster on new deal

Philippe Clement is determined to keep hold of Rangers youngster Ross McCausland by tying him down on a new contract after clubs across Europe and in England were alerted to his availability.

The 20-year-old’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season and Belgian boss Clement is eager to ensure the Northern ireland youth international stays at Ibrox beyond next summer after making an impact on first-team squad in recent weeks.

McCausland featured against Aris Limassol in the Europa League and against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership under interim boss Steven Davis and has since been used from off the bench in league wins over Hibs, Hearts and Dundee.

Rangers risk letting the former Linfield star go for as little as £300,000 in compensation, and the Daily Record claim club officials will sit down with the attacker and his representatives this week to try to agree a new long-term contract.

McCausland has been an integral part of the Gers B-team after arriving in 2019. He was handed his senior debut Giovanni van Bronckhorst in May 2022 against Hearts at Tynecastle.