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Daily Record
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Jury votes on how to spend Celtic £20m transfer loot as signing guru reveals four key moves targeted
Rangers have ramped up their recruitment drive this week. Are the club's five summer signings so far good enough to get them past Panathinaikos in the first Champions League qualifier? KEITH JACKSON: No. They need to concentrate on the top end of the team now with two wingers and at least one striker top of the agenda. That'll be the expensive part of this rebuild but absolutely essential. ANDY NEWPORT: They are putting the pieces in place but there are still some big gaps to be filled, especially in the forward areas. The dressing room walls will be bulging too, so offloading some of the deadwood will be key too. SCOTT MCDERMOTT: If you add those to what was already in the building, yes they can get past the Greeks - but it won't be easy. Russell Martin still needs more through the door and a raft of players to exit as well. MICHAEL: There's been some solid early work but there are still gaps in the side that need to be filled. Rangers need more width and pace in the side for starters. Celtic have banked £17million-plus on the sale of Nicolas Kuhn. How should Brendan Rodgers spend the proceeds? KEITH: Celtic also need to beef up their options in the final third. With Kuhn gone and Jota injured, Rodgers will be looking for two top quality wide men. And, given that he's gone six months without a replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi, he'll have a new No.9 on his wish list too. ANDY: Another centre-back will be handy but Celtic's real urgent area of concern is up front. They need a proper centre-forward and at least two more wide players to cope with Kuhn's departure and Jota's long-term injury. SCOTT: He'll want two wide players for a start, with Kuhn leaving and Jota injured. He's still looking for left-back cover too. With Cameron Carter-Vickers not fully fit and new boy Inamura a development player, he'll also need a centre-back. MICHAEL: Celtic need to ramp up the recruitment drive from development players to first team ready stars. A couple of wide men and a striker are top of the list. Ann Budge's time at Tynecastle is coming to and end as the Gorgie chairwoman prepares to step down. How should she be remembered by Hearts fans? KEITH: Fondly. Budge isn't everyone's cup of tea and much of her decision making has been erratic since taking the helm. This does feel like the right time for her to move aside. But she stepped up when she was required and went on to future proof the club. Her contribution will never be forgotten. ANDY: Seeing the club relegated during Covid and let slip what should have been a strangle hold on third place last season were blots on the copy book - but without Budge's millions and hours of graft alongside the Foundation of Hearts, the Gorgie faithful might not have a club at all to support. She should have a statue outside the new stand she helped construct. SCOTT: Like all football club owners, she's made mistakes. But if it wasn't for Budge, who knows where Hearts would be right now? Fans shouldn't ever forget her huge contribution. MICHAEL: As one of the most important people in the club's history. She helped save the club, empower the Foundation of Hearts then usher in this new era of optimism. Sure, there was some mistakes along the way but Budge should forever go down as the Queen of Hearts. Jambos boss Derek McInnes has his captain back on board. How high up the Premiership table should he be aiming now he has Lawrence Shankland leading the line? KEITH: Hearts are a club on the up right now and Derek McInnes wouldn't have taken on the job if he didn't believe he could take them to the next level. That means rolling around in the mud with Celtic and Rangers next season - and Shankland's goals can help him achieve that. A third place finish will be the minimum aim. ANDY: The battle for third place has never been fiercer but Hearts have no excuse if they are not in the mix until the bitter end. They now have the off-field backing, a manager who knows the course and a striker that is among the best in the business. Now they need to go get it done. SCOTT: They have to aim for third, despite finishing bottom six last term. McInnes will believe with financial backing that he can split the Old Firm. But if they can be the best of the rest - and ahead of Hibs - come May he'll be delighted. MICHAEL: Keeping Shanks is a major bonus but the target for Hearts remains the same as it always is with or without the striker. The Jambos should be aiming for third this season and going deep in the cup competitions.
Scottish Sun
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Scott McTominay ‘wanted in mega-money transfer' after inspiring Napoli to stunning Serie A title
Napoli at risk of losing another big-name superstar GREAT SCOTT Scott McTominay 'wanted in mega-money transfer' after inspiring Napoli to stunning Serie A title Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTT McTOMINAY is a reported mega-money target for Saudi giants Al-Hilal. The Scot is wanted in the Middle East after firing Napoli to their fourth Serie A title last month. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Scott McTominay is a big-money target for Al-Hilal Credit: Getty 4 The Scot was named MVP as he fired Napoli to the Serie A title Credit: Getty McTominay, 28, joined the Italians in a £25million move from Manchester United last summer and quickly became a key part of Antonio Conte's side. He went on to score 12 league goals as Napoli pipped Inter Milan to glory on the final day. And McTominay's incredible efforts were recognised by his peers as he was crowned Serie A's Most Valuable Player of the season. However, the ex-Red Devil could now be on the move from Napoli after just one season. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL FOOTBALL TRAGEDY Three football fans dead & at least 70 injured in stadium disaster Football Italia claims Al-Hilal are plotting a bid after losing their grip on the Saudi title to Al-Ittihad. They already boast a formidable team including Joao Cancelo, Kalidou Koulibaly and Aleksandar Mitrovic. But new boss Simone Inzaghi, who was in charge of Napoli's rivals Inter last term, now wants to add McTominay to his star squad. He sees the ace fitting into a dynamic midfield three alongside ex-Wolves hero Ruben Neves and Serbian powerhouse Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Al-Hilal are already said to have made an enquiry to Napoli over a big-mony deal. But Antonio Conte views McTominay as an unsellable player. Scott McTominay dances with old fan while puffing on cigarette as never-ending Napoli title party continues 4 The title specialist has only just agreed to stay at the club himself on the condition that Napoli do not sell any key men. And as a result, the Italians are said to have already rebuffed Al-Hilal's enquiry. But the Saudis are unlikely to give up and could test Napoli's resolve with a cash offer. The champs may not buckle though, as they are set to earn a mint with the sale of Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian was also a target for Al-Hilal but turned down a £63m contract offer amid interest from Europe's top sides. Napoli had been looking for £100m when clubs including Chelsea came calling last summer. But after they were forced to loan Osimhen to Galatasaray for the season, they could accept £40m in the current window.
Daily Record
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Jury instructs Rangers fans to get on the Russell Martin train as Celtic told Daizen Maeda transfer rules
Should Rangers fans get on board with the Russell Martin appointment? ANDREW NEWPORT: They have to. Rangers have burned their way through manager after manager and the only way to stop that rinse-and-repeat cycle of sacking bosses is to back one. It will take patience - but Martin has to hold up his end of the bargain by showing progress. SCOTT BURNS: He is now their manager so they have to get behind him. He is the man in possession and the one man who can change their fortunes. It is a new start, the fans need to embrace it MICHAEL GANNON: They need to give the guy a chance, even if he wasn't the one they wanted. Rangers will have a tough enough time dealing with Celtic without supporters waiting for their own gaffer to fail. What will success look like for Martin in his first season in charge at Rangers? ANDY: A cup and to, at the very least, provide a proper title challenge to Celtic. Some fans might want more but I'm not sure that's realistic this year with so much work to be done by the new owners as they begin reshaping a broken squad. SCOTT: Rangers have to be up challenging for the title, winning cups and progressing in Europe. That is the expectation at Rangers. MICHAEL: A proper title challenge. The cups could come down to coin tosses with Celtic but it's a prolonged bid for the Premiership that is required rather than another season that's up the spout by spring. Should Celtic cash in on Daizen Maeda? ANDY: Only if they can be certain of finding an adequate replacement. They should learn a lesson from Kyogo Furuhashi's sale Adam Idah wasn't good enough to be his permanent replacement and a lack of a proper striker was a reason they missed out on the Treble. SCOTT: I think if a big enough offer comes in they should take it. He is a top player but he is getting to an age where he is getting close to his peak market value. MICHAEL: It will depend on what Maeda wants to do but there's no point in Celtic even banking £20million because he's worth so much more to the side. No man in priceless but this one is close. Will Steven Pressley crack it at Dundee? ANDY: It depends on what objectives he's set. Tony Docherty performed a minor miracle getting them into the top six but was bulleted a year later. Elvis is a good coach by all accounts but he'll be hampered by his Dens budget. SCOTT: Who knows? It is a big gamble from Dundee. A lot of the fans are already against his appointment but hopefully he can win them over and give it a good go.
Daily Record
31-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
An unflinching Jury judges Rangers on Takeover, transfers, wildcard manager shout and a claim about rivals
The big story down Govan way is dominating the agenda Rangers in safe hands with their new American owners? CRAIG SWAN: Rangers have plenty of catching up to do on and off the park, but things can turn quickly on the field in Glasgow as Ange Postecoglou proved at Celtic recently. SCOTT BURNS: That might be the money they are putting into the club but that won't all go to transfers. I will go into strengthening the infrastructure. It is down to whether they can get the maximum out of what they have. It would be a big ask to topple Celtic. MICHAEL GANNON: It's a decent start but it's going to take time and long term investment to get to the top of the tree in Scotland and it will be even tougher to reach the group stages. Three qualifiers is a big ask and there's already a ton of work required to be ready. Year one might be about building solid foundations. Are Rangers in safe hands with their new American owners? CRAIG: The only gauge anyone has at this moment is their past work at other clubs and most of that seems to be in order, so you'd say yes at this stage. SCOTT: Who knows? Rangers need a fresh start. The new owners are providing that and the proof will be in the pudding as to what they do. MICHAEL: They are talking a good game. It's now time to see the proof. It looks like they want to make money on their investment but realise it will take success to do so. That should be good news for Rangers fans. Would Francesco Farioli be a good shout at Rangers manager? CRAIG: Managing Ajax is a pressure job at a high-profile club, so that box is ticked and he's well spoken about by people such as Arne Slot. SCOTT:I genuinely believe it is between Russell Martin and Davide Ancelotti. There has been too much smoke and mirrors, Steven Gerrard hasn't been in the equation for weeks. MICHAEL: The Italian is a strong character and has a big reputation. The Ajax collapse and fall out with the club's officials might be a red flag to some but he's certainly his own man and would be an interesting appointment. CRAIG: Celtic will have their plans and do their own thing. Brendan Rodgers wants more progression and ideas will have been in place for ages. It's unlikely to make any difference to their thinking. SCOTT: Celtic just need to concentrate on making themselves better. If they do that then they will remain as the standard bearer in Scotland. MICHAEL: It will be business as usual but they'd be daft to ignore it. Celtic's baseline is set at being better than Rangers and if things are ramping up at Ibrox, the Hoops will need to respond to stay ahead of the game. It's a big summer at Celtic Park.
Scottish Sun
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Scott McTominay becomes first Scot to claim Serie A award as league chief calls him ‘devastating'
He was already enjoying the best goalscoring season of his career - now it's got even better TOP SCOTT Scott McTominay becomes first Scot to claim Serie A award as league chief calls him 'devastating' SCOTT MCTOMINAY's amazing year in Italy continues. The former Manchester United midfielder joined Napoli for £25.5million last summer and just this week he has added another feather to his cap. Advertisement 1 Scott McTominay has been in top form for Napoli of late Credit: Reuters McTominay was already enjoying the best goalscoring season of his career by the time he broke the 63-year-old record set by Denis Law for the number of goals by a Scot in a Serie A campaign. On top of that he's had pizzas named after him, fans have gotten tattoos in his honour and there's even a shrine dedicated to him. Last weekend he helped Napoli put one hand on the Scudetto with a solid display in a 1-0 win over Lecce, with Billy Gilmour coming on to play a cameo role. That result means Antonio Conte's men went six points clear of Inter Milan (the gap has since reduced back to three). Advertisement McTominay's performances throughout April have led to him being named the league's player of the month. He becomes the first Scot to win the award - despite the success of the likes of Law, Graeme Souness and Lewis Ferguson before him. The 28-year-old bagged five goals across April and will pick up the fan-voted award this weekend when he takes to the pitch for his team's game against Genoa. On the back of his displays, Serie A's chief executive described McTominay's impact on the Italian top flight as "devastating". Advertisement League CEO Luigi De Siervo said: "Scott McTominay's impact on the league has been 'devastating', proving to be an absolute top player, the ideal prototype of the 'box-to-box' midfielder, decisive in both phases of the game. "The five goals he scored in April alone put Napoli back on top of the table and allowed the player to set his own personal record for goals in a season. 'How can you sell him?' Ole Gunnar Solskjaer blasts Man Utd for Scott McTominay's transfer to Napoli "He is the first Scotsman to win the Serie A Player of the Month award, an award that has been won a total of 11 times, out of 53 editions, by a Napoli player, a club that holds the absolute record in this special classification." A statement from the league read: "The EA SPORTS FC Player Of The Month award for April has been assigned to Napoli player Scott McTominay. The trophy will be presented during the pre-match of Napoli vs Genoa, scheduled for Sunday 11th May 2025 at 8.45pm at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples. Advertisement "The fans' votes on combined with individual statistical data, determined Scott McTominay as the winner, beating champions like Diao (Como), Ndoye (Bologna), Ondrejka (Parma), Rovella (Lazio), Soulè (Roma). "The six best players of the month have been selected taking into account the advanced analysis of Stats Perform, created from the tracking data recorded with the Hawk-Eye system. "The rating system, patented in 2010 with K-Sport and scientifically validated, considers not only statistical data and technical events, but also positional data. "This makes it possible to analyse crucial aspects such as movement without the ball and thus optimal movements, game choices, and the contribution to the technical and physical efficiency of the team, which allow for an objective and qualitative evaluation of the performance. Advertisement "For the final calculation matchdays 31 to 34 of Serie A 2024/2025 were considered." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
