Rumour Mill: Derby to bid for Paterson | Celtic's reserves '˜could win the league' | Rangers eye Cadden

Derby are ready to bid £500k for Hearts' Callum Paterson in January, Celtic's second-string side could win the Scottish Premiership, and Rangers are eyeing a move for Motherwell's Chris Cadden.

Derby are looking to sign Callum Paterson in January. Picture: SNS

Click here for the latest results, fixtures and stats>>>

Derby to bid on Paterson

Derby County are ready to swoop for Hearts right-back Callum Paterson in January for a fee around £500,000.

The Scottish international will see his contract at Tynecastle expire next summer. However, Hearts have already stated they will net £450,000 in compensation, and with the difference between second and fourth in the Ladbrokes Premiership worth around £400,000, it may take an increased offer to persuade the Tynecastle club to part with their asset six months early. (Daily Record)

Celtic’s ‘reserves could win the league’

Celtic’s second-string side would still win the Ladbrokes Premiership, according to Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald.

The Firhill manager is concerned the gulf in quality will mean a lack of competition in Scotland’s top flight that stretches beyond this season. (Daily Record)

Rangers eye Cadden

Rangers are eyeing a move for Motherwell midfielder Chris Cadden, though they face stiff competition from English Premier League sides Sunderland and West Ham.

Brighton are also said to be interested in the 20-year-old, who recently signed a contract extension until 2019. (Scottish Sun)

Cathro happy not to have joined Rangers

Ian Cathro insists that joining Rangers when they expressed an interest in him 18 months ago would have been the wrong move for him and he is happy that he has been handed his first lead role at Hearts, a club he considers a better fit.

The Ibrox side spoke with the 30-year-old prior to appointing current manager Mark Warburton but the discussions petered out. (The Scotsman)

Hibs want Commons

Hibernian are considering a bid to sign Kris Commons on loan in January.

The attacking midfielder has slipped out of the first team picture at Celtic and has yet to play since Brendan Rodgers took over as manager. (The Scotsman)

Burke out with viral infection

Ross County cannot put a timetable on the return of Chris Burke as the playmaker is suffering with a debilitating viral infection.

Burke has been excellent since signing for the Staggies but he hasn’t featured in the past two games. (Press and Journal)

Doncaster loses seat

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has failed to retain his place on the board of European Professional Football Leagues, having failed to secure the required votes for his second three-year spell on the influential panel.

It means there is no longer a Scottish representative, something which could harm the domestic game further as changes are made going forward. (Daily Record)

Sviatchenko: Unbeaten season worth aiming for

Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko believes the thought of remaining unbeaten the entire domestic season is a nice goal for the Ladbrokes Premiership leaders to aim for.

Even with more than half of their Premiership fixtures remaining, Celtic already find themselves surrounded by speculation over whether they can complete the season unbeaten in pursuit of their sixth consecutive league title. (The Scotsman)

Accies in demand

Hamilton Accies owner Ronnie MacDonald claims he has rejected five separate offers for the Lanarkshire club over the last eight years.

MacDonald said the offers have been rejected because he is concerned other investors may not have the interests of the wider community at heart. (Scottish Sun)

McPake plays again

Dundee club captain James McPake is nearing a return to fitness after playing 45 minutes of a development game on Wednesday night.

The centre-back suffered a horrific injury in early January against local rivals Dundee United. The 32-year-old shattered his knee cap when he collided with then-United midfielder John Rankin. (Scottish Sun)

Marciano out until New Year

Hibernian goalkeeper Ofir Marciano has been ruled out until the new year with a knee problem for which he will undergo a “tidy up” operation on Monday, revealed manager Neil Lennon yesterday as he admitted that “injuries are starting to mount” at the 
Easter Road side. (The Scotsman)

Pundit wanted to punch Thomson

A pundit from Turkish TV says he would have punched Scottish referee Craig Thomson if he’d been manager of Besiktas.

The whistler was at the centre of a storm on Tuesday evening after a highly contentious call in the Turkish side’s Champions League meeting with Dynamo Kiev. (Daily Record)

Keep up to date with all our sport news on The Scotsman’s Sport page on Facebook