Rumour Mill: Dave King | Stuart Armstrong

Stuart Armstrong, pictured celebrating with Dundee United coach Darren Jackson after scoring, is a target for Hull. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Dave King, Paul Murray and George Letham discuss Rangers bailout

Dave King, Paul Murray and George Letham are locked in discussions with the Rangers board over a potential multi-million pound bailout. The Daily Record has reported that the trio of wealthy fans have teamed up in a joint bid to help their club stave off another financial collapse by offering to fund an urgently needed cash injection. The package could see the three become key figures in the future of the club. However they may face resistance from Sandy and James Easdale who have formed an alliance with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Together with Ashley’s 8.92 per cent stake, the Easdales account for 22.75 per cent of the current holding. (Daily Record)

Hull line up Dundee United starlet Stuart Armstrong

Hull City could be set to land another Dundee United starlet after Stuart Armstorng emerged as one of their top January signing targets. Tigers boss Steve Bruce sent chief scout Stan Ternet to Rugby Park last week to watch the Scotland under-21 star. Bruce hopes that Armstrong can follow the success of fellow Scot Andy Robertson who signed in the summer. (Daily Record)

John Hartson aims blast at under-fire Ronny Deila

Celtic legend John Hartson has laid into Ronny Deila in a stinging blast. Hartson insists the under-fire Celtic gaffer is out of his depth at Parkhead. He rapped: “I listened to what he said after losing to Hamilton Accies at the weekend and thought to myself ‘you don’t have a clue.’ It’s like he doesn’t have the first idea of what being the Celtic manager is all about.” (Sun)

St Mirren player launches legal bid over £1 a week contract

Buddies starlet Kieran Doran, 18, quit the club at the start of the season to study medicine at Edinburgh University. However, club bosses are refusing to release him from the three-and-a-half year deal he signed in December 2012 and now he is frozen out of football. Doran is set to meet with employment experts and could launch a claim for damages over their failure to meet the national minimum wage. Campaigners believe his allegations of low pay could be the tip of the iceberg among teenage apprentices at many SPFL clubs. Doran’s contract, lodged with the SFA states he would be paid a paltry £1 a week for the first seven months to June 2013. (Daily Record)

Mark McGhee urges Ryan Gauld to play his way into the Scotland team

Ryan Gauld was last night urged to play his way into Scotland contention. Sporting Lisbon kid Gauld, 18, has caught the eye in training after hooking up with Gordon Strachan’s squad for the first time. It was initially believed he would play no part in the clash with Georgia on Saturday. But Scotland assistant boss Mark McGhee said: “Ryan did things naturally that Gordon Strachan talks about. I pulled Ryan aside and told him that before the Croatia game last year we pulled in Barry Bannan because he had trained so well and he ended up playing. Bannan has now played in something like seven out of nine games for us and I told Ryan: ‘Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to really try in training.’ It’s up to Ryan what he shows Gordon Strachan.” (Sun)

Stefan Johansen claims the Celtic players are all behind boss Ronny Deila

The Hoops have made a dreadful start to the season and sit sixth in the table after the shock loss to Hamilton. Deila has been stung by criticism after crashing out of the Champions League twice and losing two games in the Premiership. And he’s also been rocked by a row over his players’ diets. But fellow Norwegian Johansen says there are no dressing-room divisions at Parkhead. He said: “We all stand together and the players are fully behind him. So are the supporters, but if the press and some fans have different opinions, then that is allowed too. That’s football. We have experienced players who have seen this before. There are no problems.” He added: “He’s been criticised but there is criticism everywhere in football. None of us has any problem with that. It’s a results-orientated club with a lot of pressure. We’ve had some good weeks too and if we’d beaten Hamilton we wouldn’t have had these issues. But we just have to deal with it. It’s not the crisis everyone is making out. We should have won against Hamilton – we had 15 chances – but it was just one of those days when the ball wouldn’t go in. Then they score one goal and it becomes a crisis. It looks far worse from the outside than it really is. We’ve made a good start in the Europa League and if we win our game in hand in the league we are only three points behind.”

News in brief:

• Alfe-Inge Haaland has claimed Roy Keane’s new look makes him look like Saddam Hussein (Sun)

• St Mirren player-coach Jim Goodwin reckons no-one is scared of Celtic now and that everyone who faces them now will fancy their chances. (Sun)

• Shota Arveladze insists the current Georgia side is not a patch on the team he played in and will struggle to beat Scotland.(Sun)

• Inverness have signed former Crystal Palace hitman Ibra Sekajja on a short term deal. (Sun)

• Hibs manager Alan Stubbs is hopeful that vice-captain David Gray will return from injury this weekend. (Mail)

Rumour Mill: Dave King | Stuart Armstrong | Scotland