Celtic move for EPL striker, Green Brigade return, Rangers 'to survive 2 years without penalty loss', Hibs v Hearts TV first - Scottish football news

Celtic have reportedly contacted Wolves over signing striker Fabio Silva, pitcured in action against Crystal Palace in September. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

The latest news from across Scottish football as the names of two potential Celtic transfer targets emerge

Celtic move for EPL striker

Celtic have submitted an enquiry to Wolves over the availability of striker Fabio Silva, according to a report. Wolves signed the Portugal Under-21 international from Porto for a club record £35million fee back in 2020 and he has scored five goals in 72 appearances for the Molineux outfit. He has fallen down the pecking order under manager Gary O'Neil with just three starts in the English Premier League this season, while his only goal of the campaign so far came in a League Cup win over Blackpool. Silva was loaned out twice last season, scoring seven goals in 20 appearances at Anderlecht, before joining PSV in January, where he managed four goals in 14 matches. Football Scotland claim that Celtic have made contact with Wolves with regards signing the forward, most likely on loan, with Brendan Rodgers keen to add to a striker to his squad ahead of the Asian Cup which could see Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda called up by Japan, likewise Oh Hyeon-gyu for South Korea.

Hibs v Hearts TV first

Hibs head coach Nick Montgomery will wear a microphone as part of Sky Sports’ live coverage of Wednesday’s Edinburgh derby in Scottish football TV first. The move is aimed at enabling fans watching at home to hear the specific coaching and tactics from the sideline, while a member of the Hibs coaching staff will wear a bodycam to give a first-person perspective of the team on the pitch from the dugout. Sky Sports will also be given access to the Hearts team hotel for a pre-match meal, and a bodycam will be strapped to a Jambos player during the warm-up. The enhancements for the Easter Road showdown follows Sky Sports’ EFL ‘Innovation Game’ last season, which included behind-the-scenes access for the broadcast of the Wycombe vs Portsmouth match in League One.

Green Brigade return

Celtic ultras, The Green Brigade, are set to return to Parkhead on Saturday for the match against Livingston following a 13-game ban. The supporters group were denied tickets for all home and away matches after what club bosses described as "unacceptable conduct" back in November . The ban was imposed just days after the group defied requests not to fly Palestine flags during October's 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Celtic have also received hefty fines from UEFA for fan behaviour during European matches which included lighting flares and displaying offensive banners. The dispute has now been resolved with the Green Brigade set to return to their usual corner section of the stadium for the visit of Livingston, and ahead of the Old Firm clash aganst Rangers at Celtic Park on December 30.

Celtic watch Ivorian midfielder

Celtic have placed Hacken midfielder Romeo Amane on their transfer watchlist, according to a report. The 20-year-old Ivorian impressed on Scottish soil earlier this season when he helped the Swedish side knock Aberdeen out of the Europa League play-offs with a 3-1 win at Pittodrie. Football Scotland claim Amane was watched by Celtic scouts during the Europa League match against Qarabag in Azerbaijan last week with the playmaker set to be fast-tracked up the potential recruitment shortlist. Amane has scored three goals and contributed three assist for Hacken this season and was linked with Ajax earlier this year.

Motherwell investment search no knee-jerk reaction

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell has stressed the club’s search for investment is part of a natural drive to improve. Chairman Jim McMahon this week announced he would step down by the end of the season and claimed the club needed “significant investment” to retain a “competitive player budget”. Interim chief executive Derek Weir is also aiming to make way for a permanent successor by the end of March. The board will soon unveil plans for a fund-raising initiative which they have been working on for at least two years, but the fan-owned club had never previously publicly announced their intentions. “I think we can dramatise things,” said Kettlewell, whose team host Rangers on Christmas Eve as they search for a first win in 15 matches. “The clearest way I can put it is this isn’t a knee-jerk reaction. I can stress from my point of view, this is only being done to see if we can move forward. All the add-ons about significant investment, I have read one or two stories this week about other clubs, we are all trying to improve, we are all looking for that bit more money to strive forward. It’s no different at Motherwell Football Club. That will have been a mindset for several years at this club.”

Rangers penalty survival odds

A bookmaker has backed Rangers to go two full years without conceding a penalty in the Scottish Premiership. It is 71 matches since the Ibrox side last had a spot kick awarded against them in the league back on January 18, 2022 in a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Pittodrie following an Alfredo Morelos handball. IF Philippe Clement’s rejuvenated side avoid conceding a spot-kick in their four remaining games before the winter break – starting at Motherwell on Sunday, then Ross County at home, Celtic away and then Kilmarnock at home – then they will have survived 24 months without one being awarded against them, with the next match not until they travel to Easter Road to face Hibs on January 24. One bookmaker – https://instantcasino.com/ – have stuck their neck out and offered odds of 4/9 on them not conceding a penalty between now and then. Punters can get 7/4 on the run finally coming to an end in any of the next four games.

Livingston will not be overawed by trip to Celtic

Andrew Shinnie admitted Livingston are braced for a Celtic backlash on Saturday but the midfielder is adamant there will be “no defeatist attitude” as his bottom-of-the-table side bid to stem a run of nine games without a victory at the home of the cinch Premiership leaders. The Lions are five points adrift at the foot of the table and, following a narrow defeat away to Aberdeen on Wednesday, their task does not get any easier as they visit a Hoops side bidding to bounce back after suffering back-to-back league defeats for the first time in a decade. “It’s not always a good thing (to be playing a wounded animal) but either way they’re going to have to react to what’s been a couple of disappointing results for them,” said Shinnie. “We’re expecting them to try to come flying out the traps after the last couple of games so it will be a tough one. At this minute in time, when you look at the fixtures they’re all hard because we’re not winning games. But Pittodrie is a tough place to go and we acquitted ourselves well on Wednesday. Celtic Park’s always tough and not many teams win there. But we’ve been there before and got points so there’s no defeatist attitude here. We’ll go there with a game plan and they’re off the back of a couple of bad results so if it’s a bit tense there we’ll look to capitalise on that.”