Hearts land another pre-contract, Celtic eye permanent deal, Rangers ace opens up on future - Scottish football news

We talk you through a selection of football stories across Scottish football this Thursday evening:

Hearts ‘land Penrice’

Hearts have agreed a pre-contract deal with Livingston defender James Penrice, according to multiple reports. The Jambos were linked with the versatile left-sided Lions defender in January and have won the race to sign him for next season. Penrice, 25, is the second player Hearts have attained for next season after Ross County playmaker Yan Dhanda agreed terms with Steven Naismith’s team earlier this year.

Celtic want Bernardo on permanent deal

Livingston's James Penrice looks set to join Hearts.

Celtic are keen to make the loan deal for Benfica midfielder Paulo Bernardo permanent, according to reports in Portugal. Celtic have an option to purchase the 22-year-old and while formal moves are not expected until the end of the season, A Bola claims that Celtic will look to “renegotiate” the terms of the transfer. Celtic and Benfica have done business in the past when Jota’s loan was made permanent in 2022.

Diomande on nationality choice

Rangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande has spoken on the decision on whether to pick Ivory Coast or Ghana as his nationality. Both nations are keen for the 22-year-old to play for them through Ivorian parentage and growing up in Ghana, but in a social media post, Diomande offered clarity on the situation. “As a child who was passionate about football, my dream was to become a professional footballer and thus defend the colours of my country wherever I went and to play with the national team,” he said. “Today I am truly grateful to Allah for having achieved part of this dream - that of becoming a professional footballer. There remains the other part, that of joining the national team and also of making my parents proud. Furthermore, I am also aware of the interest shown in me by my host country Ghana where I spent more than seven years of my life and my training as a footballer. However, a lot of things have been said, but I am in direct contact with the manager affected by my decision and he is the one who has the real information regarding my choice. I would like to thank my club Rangers for their support, my family and also all my fans during this period.”

McKenna out of Scotland squad

Scott McKenna has withdrawn from the Scotland squad for the friendlies against Netherlands and Northern Ireland. The 27-year-old Nottingham Forest defender, on loan at Copenhagen, becomes the second centre-back to pull out of Steve Clarke’s group following the earlier withdrawal of Grant Hanley. It is not yet known if Clarke will bring in a replacement. McKenna’s withdrawal was confirmed by the Scottish Football Association on Thursday ahead of the match against Netherlands in Amsterdam on Friday. Scotland take on Northern Ireland at Hampden Park next Tuesday as preparation for this summer’s European Championship in Germany gets under way.