Rumour Mill: Celtic eye Lennart Thy | Swansea and Palace want Griffiths | Rangers ‘will regret King return’

Celtic set to make move for St Pauli striker Lennart Thy; Leigh Griffiths wanted by EPL duo but keen to stay at Celtic; Aston Villa to make decision on Kozak and ex-SPL chief warns Rangers will ‘come to regret’ return of King
Lennart Thy, seen here in action for St Pauli, is wanted by Celtic. Picture: Getty ImagesLennart Thy, seen here in action for St Pauli, is wanted by Celtic. Picture: Getty Images
Lennart Thy, seen here in action for St Pauli, is wanted by Celtic. Picture: Getty Images

Watch Lennart Thy score four goals in one match

The 23-year-old striker scored all four goals as St Pauli humbled Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Hoops close in on Thy

CELTIC are set to move quickly in order to seal a deal for St Pauli striker Lennart Thy.

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Thy will be available for a knockdown price in January as his deal runs out in the summer, but Celtic face competition from the English Premier League as well as a number of German outfits.

St Pauli have offered Thy a new three-year deal as the Hamburg side are keen to hold onto him, but the 23-year-old is in no rush to make a decision. (Daily Record)

Griffiths a target for Swansea and Crystal Palace

LEIGH Griffiths is reportedly a target for English Premier League sides Crystal Palace and Swansea.

The ex-Hibs and Wolves striker has bagged 19 goals for Celtic this season, and nearly 50 since signing in January 2014, but is understood to be happy at Celtic and not open to a return down south. (Scottish Sun)

Villa to make Kozak decision in January

ASTON Villa boss Remi Garde is to make a decision on whether or not to allow forgotten man Libor Kozak to join Celtic next month.

The Czech forward is way down the pecking order at Villa Park and was watched by Ronny Deila in an Under-21 match earlier this week.

Garde has already blocked a loan bid for Kozak from Birmingham. (Various)

Commons set to travel to Turkey

KRIS Commons has recovered from a hamstring injury that has kept him on the sidelines for the past five weeks and will travel to Istanbul for Celtic’s match against Fenerbahce. (Various)

Ex-SPL chief in Dave King warning

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FORMER SPL chief executive Roger Mitchell has warned that Rangers will ‘come to regret’ the return of Dave King.

Mitchell said on Twitter that King should not have been allowed back at Rangers because of his 41 tax convictions in South Africa.

Mitchell added: “How can King be fit and proper after what the judge said about him? And he was on the board of oldco. So damaged on every level.”

King is set to appear at the High Court in London today where Mike Ashley’s lawyers will bid to have him thrown in jail on a contempt of court charge. (Daily Record)

14-team top flight ‘a possibility for 2016/17’

LEAGUE chief executive Neil Doncaster has floated the idea of enlarging the top flight to 14 teams – with the possibility that such changes could be introduced in time for next season.

An increase from a 12 team to a 14-team Premiership is believed to have widespread support throughout the Scottish Professional Football League because the vast majority of the 42 senior clubs would stand to gain.

These teams are currently configured 12-10-10-10 in a four-tier hierarchy. In the set-up under discussions, sides would be split into three league of 14. Effectively, that would earn 18 of them promotion from their present placing at a stroke. (The Scotsman)

Stubbs ‘could let fringe players leave’

HIBS boss Alan Stubbs has said he won’t stand in the way of any players leaving to find first-team football, even though he is keen to keep his squad intact.

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Players such as Sam Stanton and Daniel Handling have struggled for regular game time under the former Everton U21 boss and Stubbs is preparing for discussions with ‘some of the players’.(Evening News)

SPFL rejects Budge complaints

THE Scottish Professional Football League has firmly rejected complaints led by Hearts owner Ann Budge that clubs were not properly consulted or informed of the radical changes to the League Cup and reintroduction of a winter break.

Budge, who was supported by Motherwell owner Les Hutchison in criticising the timing of the SPFL’s announcement on Monday night, claimed the final details of the reforms were not relayed to clubs in advance.

But the SPFL responded robustly and in detail last night, insisting all 42 of their member clubs were fully briefed and also specifying that Hearts and Motherwell were both involved in several meetings, dating back to October 2014, when the potential changes to the League Cup were discussed. (The Scotsman)

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Dundee, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Dundee United will all be sponsored by McEwan Fraser Legal next season after the firm bagged a triple deal with the clubs

• Dundee United are hopeful of finally sorting out a deal for Eiji Kawashima with an SFA hearing due to be held to try and bag a work permit for the Japanese shot-stopper

• Michael Chopra has confirmed he will apply to be the next manager of Alloa after Danny Lennon quit

• Aberdeen have taken Finnish youngster Sebastian Dolvio on trial

• Scotland are still bottom of TV’s rich list despite the £8m windfall from the new Scottish League Cup revamp

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