The Rumour Mill: Tuesday’s football news and gossip

Leicester linked with Jelavic

Big-spending Championship club Leicester have told Rangers they will table a £7.5million bid for Nikica Jelavic in the January transfer window. The Foxes had a £6.5million offer for the Croatian striker turned down by Ibrox owner Craig Whyte in August, and given Rangers’ current financial situation its’ highly unlikely that the SPL champions could knock back an increased sum in the new year. (Sun)

• Sone Aluko will attempt to win a deal at Rangers in a bounce match against St Mirren. Manager Ally McCoist is keen to add width to his side and the former Aberdeen winger could provide that. (Record)

• Olympiacos could use £2million-rated striker Kostas Mitroglou as an added incentive in their audacious bid to sign Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor. Ibrox chief scout Neil Murray watched the 23-year-old at his loan club Atromitos. (Express)

• Sheffield United are still keen to sign Rangers fringe players John Fleck and Kyle Hutton on loan deals. (Sun)

• Rangers are among a host of clubs tracking 17-year-old Dulwich Hamlet defender Michael Chambers. (Sun)

Lustig up for Celtic switch

Mikael Lustig has expressed his excitement at being linked with Celtic and has already discussed it with Swedish team-mate Daniel Majstorovic. The Rosenberg defender is high on Neil Lennon’s shopping list with the possibility of a free transfer when his contract expires with the Norwegian outfit next month. (Record)

SPL’s £80m TV deal

Scottish Premier League chief executive Neil Doncaster believes the signing of a new £80 million television deal with Sky Sports and ESPN has significantly enhanced the competition’s value for potential new title sponsors. (Scotsman)

• The deal effectively ends any chance of league reconstruction for the next five years, with Doncaster confirming that part of the agreement is that Celtic and Rangers continue to play each other four times a season. (Express)

Hearts farm out youth trio to Raith

Hearts have confirmed that they are sending three of the brightest stars in the club’s under-19 side on loan to Raith Rovers for a month. Jason Holt, David Smith and Jamie Walker, who all played in a bounce match for the Kirkcaldy side at the weekend, will return to Tynecastle in time to join the first-team squad for the New Year, when Hearts plan to release a number of their senior players. (Scotsman)

• Hearts are in contract talks with midfielder Eggert Jonsson. The club see him as a valuable commodity and fear losing him for nothing next summer if he isn’t tied to a deal. (Sun)

Early favourites out of race for Hibs job

Two early favourites for the Hibernian manager’s post appear to be out of the running, having not been contacted by the Easter Road club. Michael O’Neill will this morning fly to Sweden as he takes his Shamrock Rovers side to play a friendly match against Malmo in preparation for next week’s resumption of Europa League games, while former Hearts boss Jim Jefferies has not been contacted by Hibs and neither has he applied for the job. (Scotsman)

• Bohemians manager Pat Fenlon expects to learn today if he has been successful in his application to become the new Hibs boss. (Mail)

IN BRIEF

• Danny Lennon will hold more contract talks with St Mirren today as he closes in on a new two-year deal. (Sun)

• Middlesborough could launch a January bid for Dundee United star Danny Swanson. (Sun)

• Inverness have confirmed they will appeal against the red card issued to Greg Tansey during Saturday’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League game against Celtic. (Various)

• David Weatherston has signed a deal with Falkirk until the end of the season. (Sun)

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