Celtic braced for O'Riley bid, Rangers star submits transfer request, Hearts ace pens new contract, Hibs eye second signing - rumour mill

The latest January transfer news and speculation swirling around the Scottish Premiership

Celtic's Matt O'Riley is a reported target for La Liga leaders Girona. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

Hearts ace pens new contract

Alan Forrest has signed a new contract at Hearts until the summer of 2026. The 27-year-old winger, who was signed from Livingston in the summer of 2022, has made 18 appearances this season, registering two goals and two assists. Sporting director Joe Savage revealed Hearts are "in discussions" with a players approaching the end of their contracts, including top scorer Lawrence Shankland. Savage said: “It’s a big boost to get Alan’s future sorted. He’s a popular player in the dressing room and with the coaching staff, so for him to commit his future to Hearts is very positive. There are, of course, a few players approaching the end of their contracts and we’re currently in discussions with them about extending. I’d like to think we’ll have some more positive news on that front soon.”

Dons confident Duk will stay

Aberdeen manager Barry Robson is confident Duk will not be sold in January despite rumoured interest in the forward. Reports claimed an offer had been rejected from Swiss side Young Boys while Serie A and Eredivisie sides have also been credited with an interest in the former Benfica star. Robson said: “Am I confident he’ll be here beyond the end of the month? Yeah, I think so. You’ll always get talk and rumours, but nbbody has phoned me. Until there’s something concrete there’s nothing for us to worry about or think about. f it happens we’ll see where it goes, but at the moment we’ve not heard anything."

Stewart returns to Killie

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes believes Greg Stewart’s eagerness to return to Rugby Park will ensure he can hit the ground running. Killie won the race to sign the 33-year-old forward and he could feature against former club Dundee in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth round in Ayrshire on Saturday if paperwork is completed in time. Stewart scored eight goals in 16 appearances for Killie in the first half of the 2018-19 season before joining McInnes at Aberdeen in another loan move from Birmingham. He is now back at Kilmarnock on a deal until the end of the season after spending two-and-a-half years in the Indian Super League, most recently with Mumbai City. McInnes told his club’s website: “We are delighted to get Greg in, his eagerness to come and be a part of what we’re trying to do here is a big factor. He now joins the squad and will try and help us reach our objectives for the rest of the campaign. The fact he’s been at the club before means there’s a familiarity about it, he will fit right in. We are looking forward to try and get that impact we know he can bring for the rest of the season.”

Rangers star submits transfer request

Ridvan Yilmaz has informed Rangers of his desire to leave the club in the January window, according to a report. The left-back, 22, is at the centre of ongoing transfer speculation with both Hellas Verona and Galatasaray launching bids for the Turkish international who was signed for around £5m from Besiktas 18 months ago. Turkish journalist Osman Şenher has claimed the player's preference is to move back to his homeland, and that he has informed Rangers manager Philippe Clement of his desire to leave Ibrox this month. Clement recently stated, however, the Yilmaz will not be sold unless the club can source a replacement.

Hibs eye second signing

Hibs completed thier first signing of the January window on Thursday with the loan signing of winger Myziane Maolida from Hertha Berlin. Now he could be joined by ex-QPR midfielder Luke Amos, according to a report. The 26-year-old has been without a club since leaving the English Championship side in the summer at the end of an injury-blighted spell. He has been back training with Tottenham, where he was once an academy player, and could be given a chance to resurrect his career at Easter Road with the Daily Record claiming that Hibs will offer him a chance to win a deal. Amos is a defensive midfielder who played 60 times for QPR across three seasons.

Celtic braced for O’Riley bid

Celtic's Matt O'Riley is continuing to attract interest – with one club set to make their move this month. Sky Sports claim that Girona are keen on signing the 23-year-old midfielder and that the current La Liga leaders are preparing to submit a bid before the January window shuts. The report also claims that another big club from Spain, and a English Premier League club, are showing an interest in the Denmark international, who has 10 goals and 10 assists to his name this season. O'Riley has four years left on his Celtic contract and would likely command a fee at least double of the £10m offer from Leeds United that was rejected in the summer.