Demir Tiknaz sees Celtic transfer 'contact' made with Rio Ave as Besiktas clock ticks on quick flip plan
The Turkish international is on loan from the Istanbul giants and reports in Portugal claim the Hoops are interested
Reports in Portugal claim Celtic have "made contact" with Rio Ave over a deal for Demir Tiknaz.
A Bola reports that French Ligue 1 outfit Lille are also interested in the Turkish midfielder and that the Premiership champions have joined his list of admirers.
However, Rio Ave can only discuss a potential transfer once they've made his loan switch from Besiktas permanent. The option to do that for €5million expires next Tuesday, so the clock is ticking for the Liga Portugal side to try and turn an immediate profit.
And it's claimed that they will only consider offers around the €10million (around £8.4m) mark.
Tiknaz made 28 appearances for Rio Ave last season, scoring four times and providing two assists.
He is currently on international duty with Turkey, who play friendlies against America and Mexico, the latter being played in the early hours of Wednesday morning - after Rio Ave's option expires.
Celtic could of course approach Besiktas directly should that pass without the Portuguese club exercising their option, but their apparent willingness to cash in quick could make a deal easier if the signs there first.
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
25 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
‘I feel like I could have done more' – Tomoki Iwata opens up on his Celtic struggles as he reveals why he had to leave
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TOMOKI IWATA has had a fine season for Birmingham City who comfortably won English League One ahead of Wrexham. However, he failed to set the world alight when he was plying his trade for Celtic, moving south after just 18-months. 3 Game time at Celtic was sparce for Tomoki Iwata Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 It was clear Hoops' boss Brendan Rodgers didn't fancy the midfielder Credit: Reuters 3 He has had a great first season since moving to Birmingham City Credit: Getty The Japanese was brought in by ex-boss Ange Postecoglu from the Aussie's old club, Yokohama F. Marinos, in 2023, originally on-loan. When his move was made permanent, Postecoglu had departed for Spurs, with Celtic then under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers. But Iwata admits he hadn't even heard of the Northern Irishman when he took over at Parkhead. He told Japanese outlet Soccer Digest Web: "Manager Rodgers was a famous coach in Scotland, but I didn't know of him at all. "At first I wondered, 'What kind of person is he?' The team actually got going and the football they were trying to play was interesting." The midfielder felt he had so much to offer the Hoops, but didn't get the chance under Rodgers. He said: "There were some areas where I wasn't able to fully showcase myself. It was partly because there was an absolute player in Callum McGregor in the same position, but honestly, I feel like I could have done more." "For players in the front line, the numbers are clear, but my strengths are my one-on-one strengths and my ability to steal the ball. "At Celtic, it's difficult to show that. The teams that are overwhelmingly strong in Scotland always have the ball and take the lead. "I would take it positively that I was able to concentrate on the offensive side, but I can't show my strengths much and I don't get many playing time". Celtic fans would never let their club die says Hoops hero Peter Grant The former J-League MVP knew he had to leave Celtic to show what he can do. Iwata said: "The level of the Scottish first division is a little lower than the top five European leagues, so I often felt that it was a difficult environment for me. "I wasn't impatient, but more than that, I couldn't help but feel the regret that I, a soccer player, wasn't playing in the games. "At that time, I had a very strong desire to play soccer. Seeing my wife taking care of our children in a foreign country where I was not familiar with them, cooking meals and doing housework, I couldn't help but feel the emotion. Interest in the Japanese began to grow after his first full season in Hoops, and he was determined to get his move, saying: "Birmingham made me an offer as soon as the off-season began, and they patiently waited until August 31st, the final day for transfers. "I thought to myself, 'If they feel that way about me, I want to go,' and immediately packed my bags and headed for my new home. I didn't have any negative feelings about it being in the third division, and my biggest motivation at the time was wanting to show my family that I was working hard". There was still a Celtic connection at his new club in the English third tier which he knew about: "In addition, the manager, Chris Davies, had previously been a coach at Celtic and had recently been a coach under Ange at Tottenham. "The two managers had heard about me and offered me the position with confidence that we could work together, so I was able to go with peace of mind." The midfielder racked up 47 games for Birmingham in his first season, scoring eight goals. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Mirror
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Coco Gauff wins French Open as Aryna Sabalenka makes bitter admission
Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka to win her first French Open singles title, with the American forced to come from behind to be at the world number one at Roland Garros Coco Gauff produced a remarkable comeback win to beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-4 in the French Open final and quoted Tyler, the Creator as she celebrated becoming the new queen of clay. The victory saw Gauff claim her second Grand Slam singles title and become the first American woman to lift the trophy since Serena Williams in 2015. The 21-year-old had previously reached the final in 2022, but was thrashed 6-1 6-3 by Iga Swiatek and had to come from behind to triumph over Sabalenka. "I don't know what I've done to deserve such support from the French crowd but I really appreciate it," Gauff said after the game. "I'm gonna quote Tyler, the Creator, who said 'If I ever told you I had a doubt inside me, I think I was lying'. I'll leave that with you guys." Sabalenka, meanwhile, apologised to her team after the match for a "terrible final" and vowed to "come back stronger". The world number one said: "This will hurt so much, especially after such a tough two weeks playing great tennis in terrible conditions. "Thank you my team for the support, I'm sorry for this terrible final. As always I will come back stronger. Anyway, Coco congrats. In these tough conditions, you were a better player than me. "Well done on a great two weeks. Congrats on the second slam. You're a fighter. Hard worker. Congrats to you and your team. "Honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame. Somehow magically the ball lands in the court, and you are on the back foot. "It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, let's see if you can handle this. "It's another tough final in a Grand Slam against Coco. Another terrible performance from me against Coco in the final. "I have to just kind of, like, step back and look at this from the perspective and try to finally learn the lesson, because I cannot go out there every time against her in the finals of the Grand Slam and play such terrible tennis and give those wins, not easily, but like, emotionally, you know?" The men's final will be contested on Sunday, with Jannik Sinner set to take on Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Friday to book his place in the final, while Alcaraz defeated Lorenzo Musetti after he retired in the fourth set of their match.
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Coco Gauff claims a three-set victory in French Open, beating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka
Coco Gauff won the French Open for the first time by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday's final. The American tennis player, who is ranked second in the world, came from a set down to beat Sabalenka and take home her second major trophy after the 2023 US Open. The match between Gauff and Sabalenka was the first time since 2013 the world number one and number two fought for the French Open title and just the second in 30 years. The match came to its conclusion on Gauff's second match point, when opponent Sabalenka sent a backhand wide. The 21-year-old American fell onto her back, covering her face with both hands as she started to sob, then got up and held her hand over her mouth. After greeting Sabalenka at the net with a warm hug and thanking the umpire, Gauff screamed out with joy and relief. Speaking on court after her win, Gauff said her defeat in the same stadium in 2022 at the age of 18 put her in a 'dark place,' as she thanked her fans. 'The crowd really helped me today, you guys were cheering for me so hard and I don't know what I did to deserve so much love from the French crowd. 'But I appreciate you, guys.' Her opponent, who fought back tears, praised her for being a "fighter" and said she deserved the win, but added that the windy conditions made for an error-strewn contest. 'This will hurt so much. Coco, congrats, in the tough conditions you were a better player than me,' Sabalenka said. 'Well done, great two weeks, and congrats on the second Grand Slam, it's well deserved.' Whilst her first French Open singles' trophy, Saturday's win marks her second trophy from the Parisian tournament after winning last year's women's doubles title with Katerina Siniakova.
