The Rumour Mill: Tuesday’s football news and gossip

CONFLICTING reports on the state of play of Rangers’ proposed takeover bidders has The Daily Record suggesting that Paul Murray’s Blue Knights are now the only serious bidders on the table, at least as far as the media knows (you might recall Rangers’ administrators insisting that a number of private bidders are equally serious about buying Rangers, and the Daily Mail reports that there are seven interested parties), while the Mail report that should Sale Sharks owner Brian Kennedy take control at Ibrox, Walter Smith would be invited back into the fold as director of football.

Smith himself has announced that he has given his backing to the Blue Knights consortium. The former Rangers manager said: “Throughout the four-and-a-half years I was there I was always really impressed by the way he handled himself at the board meetings. What came across more than anything else was that everything he did was for the good of Rangers Football Club.”

The Blue Knights have also been offered public support by John Taylor, a former deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, who owns a string of weekly newspapers in Northern Ireland. (Record)

However, the Daily Express reports that Paul Murray’s bid may yet be put to the sword by the SFA, who may take a view that, given that Murray has previously been a director at Rangers, he may be culpable for some of the club’s current issues, and may therefore be deemed unfit to own the club under the SFA’s “fit and proper” rules.

All of today’s back pages also report on comments made by former Scotland international Gordon McQueen, who said that Scottish football is a laughing stock, thanks to Rangers’ financial problems. The former Leeds and Manchester United defender said: “You can imagine the thoughts of the folk down the road. They are laughing at us because of what happened at Rangers. And it’s not nice.”

Dorin Goian has rejected a move to China that would have seen the Romanian international double his wages. The unidentified club were knocked back by Goian despite the defender agreeing to a 75 per cent wage cut. Goian’s agent cited the player’s desire to stay at the club and a fear that playing in China would diminish his chances of selection for Romania. (The Sun, Express)

Away from Ibrox, Aberdeen striker Rory Fallon has attracted interested from Major League Soccer side Toronto FC. Fallon was scouted by Toronto director of player development Paul Mariner as part of a wider recruitment drive by the club, who are also on the lookout for a centre-half. (Sun)

Meanwhile, Kevin Kyle has left Hearts after the striker, whose hip injury has seen the striker out of action for around a year, agreed to an early termination of his contract. Kyle has vowed to return to football, and has not ruled out playing for Hearts again. (Express)

St Johnstone are giving Aston Villa teenager Ebby Nelson-Addy a trial, with the midfielder’s first game likely to be a closed-doors game against Partick Thistle. Manager Steve Lomas cited Villa’s “renowned youth academy” as a factor in the decision to recruit Nelson-Addy. (Express)