Duo battle for ‘bargain’ Rangers man, Hearts hold talks, Celtic exit ‘reaches agreement’ – transfer news
Rangers warned against striker deal
After Rangers’ lacklustre season, former striker Kris Boyd chastised the team’s players, saying “too many are in their comfort zone.” After his spectacular hat-trick in the 3-3 draw with Hibs over the weekend, the former Scotland international was asked by fellow Sky Sports pundits James McFadden and Chris Sutton if the team should try to sign hotshot forward Hamza Igamane in light of rumours that English Premier League clubs are interested.
“You’re probably looking at some of your teammates and what they’re earning and I don’t think he’ll be in comparison with them,” said Boyd. “Does he deserve a new contract? He probably needs to do it for a couple more
weeks anyhow. He has a contract already. It’s perfectly acceptable to keep folks hungry. You do need to give them a prize at some point. However, there are far too many Rangers players who have spent a lot of time in their comfort zone. You can’t succeed if you keep rewarding after every five games. He has a five-year contract already. Boyd’s assertions were supported by fellow commentator McFadden, who added: “You can’t just offer him a contract every time you go through a good spell.” You try to persuade him to stay if clubs approach you with money offers and the players desire to leave. You give him a reward when you had a successful season.
Scotland cap completes move
The 28-year-old striker has struggled for form at Dingwall this season, failing to score in 16 appearances, which has led to Staggies manager Don Cowie authorising a loan move. Ross County has already replaced Brophy in their squad with the signing of Huddersfield Town’s Kieran Phillips earlier this week. Promotion rivals Ayr United were also vying for the signing of the Scotland forward, but the Bairns have won the race for his services.
Scottish boss set for shock EPL return
David Moyes, the former manager of West Ham United, may be getting a spectacular comeback to the English Premier League with Everton after Sean Dyche was fired on Thursday night. The 61-year-old Glaswegian, who has been unemployed since leaving the London Stadium in the summer, was briefly considered for the position of head coach of Scotland after the Tartan Army’s elimination from Euro 2024. However, a number of stories suggest that Moyes may be returning to Goodison Park eleven years after he originally left the Merseyside club to take Sir Alex Ferguson’s place at Manchester United.
After a string of disappointing results, the Toffees fired Dyche, 53, only hours before their FA Cup matchup with Peterborough. Moyes was nearly immediately favoured, and there were rumours that he might return to the team where he had coached for more than ten years, from 2002 to 2013. It is believed that Moyes was “immediately considered” for the open position at Goodison following Dyche’s dismissal and has already begun discussions with the Everton management.
Hearts hold talks with forward
Hearts have started negotiating with Danny Armstrong, a forward for Kilmarnock whose contract at Rugby Park expires this summer. The 27-year-old is open to being approached about a pre-contract arrangement in the summer, according to the Edinburgh Evening News. The Jambos have taken the initiative, with Killie manager Derek McInnes accepting that the player will be gone at the end of the current campaign. Armstrong is still evaluating his choices over the next two weeks, and despite the approach, no deal has been reached.
There will also likely be a number of departures from Tynecastle. Kye Rowles, a centre-back, is almost certain to sign a £600,000 contract to join MLS team DC United, and striker Liam Boyce is poised to finalise his return to Northern Ireland with Derry City. Additionally, according to reports, Macaulay Tait, a young midfielder, is available on loan until the end of the current season.
According to sources, a second Hoops exit was getting closer to being finalised, meaning Celtic may have to bid farewell to another player this week. According to the club’s official website, centre-back Stephen Welsh completed a loan move to Belgian top division team KV Mechelen yesterday. Now, colleague Luis Palma appears to be joining him in temporarily leaving Glasgow, as the Honduran is “in talks” to leave on loan.
The forward had a fantastic debut season at Celtic Park, but under Brendan Rodgers, he has dropped in the hierarchy this year, and several European clubs have expressed interest in signing him in January. But it looks like Rayo Vallecano of La Liga has won the battle for his services; according to Estadiodeportivo, Palma has “reached an agreement” to sign a loan with the team. The 24-year-old’s option to be purchased at the end of the season is another thing the Spanish team is trying to add.
Duo battle for ‘bargain’ Rangers man
Birmingham City, who entered the race for an Ibrox defender thought to be available at a “bargain” price, could bolster their former Rangers contingent this month. In addition to adding former Giants players Ben Davies (loan) and Scott Wright to its roster this season, the high-spending EFL League One team is also attempting to rival West Bromwich Albion, their neighbours in the Midlands, for Adam Devine, a full-back who is currently out of favour.
Earlier in the week, the managerless Baggies were looking to add depth to their squad in the second half of the season and saw Devine as a versatile option that can cover both full-back positions. However, a report from Mail Sport claimed that the League One table toppers have moved to the front of the queue for Devine’s signature, meaning the Rangers academy graduate has not played for the first team in over a year after falling out of the picture under Philippe Clement at Ibrox.
