Sondre Orjasaeter tells Celtic he is 'ready' for transfer with Sidibe 'exit plan' in place as £4.2m bargain vetoed

The Scottish champions are ramping up their summer business after snapping up Kieran Tierney
Sarpsborg winger Sondre Orjasaeter has told Celtic he is now "ready" to make a move away from Norway.
The Norwegian under 21 cap came close to joining Brendan Rodgers ' side in January but felt he wasn't ready to make he leap to the Premiership.
‌
Celtic have been long-term admirers for the forward and he remains on their shortlist of targets this summer - the the attacker able to play on either flank or through the middle.
‌
The Hoops saw a £4million bid booted out by Sarpsborg in January and it's understood that the club will looking to bank up to £7million for the 21-year-old.
But with Callum Osmand and Benjamin Nygren set to arrive in Glasgow with Michel-Ange Balikwisha also on the agenda, Orjasaeter now insists the time is right for a transfer with reports suggesting Lille and PSV have joined the Scottish champions in the transfer battle.
He told Danish outlet TV2: "Now I feel ready to take the step, while I am doing well here with full focus on Sarpsborg. But a transfer is not something I think about very much.
"I think that if it happens, it happens. It's not like I'll be depressed if there's no transfer."
Reports in France have touted towering Guingamp midfielder Kalidou Sidibe with a move to Glasgow's east end - with some stating a £1.7m bid has already been put on the table.
‌
And club president Fred Le Grand has admitted that the 6'6 player that the player is already inching towards the exit door after the club failed to earn promotion from Ligue 2.
He told Le Telegramme: "The market is calm, it's even very unusual. There are discussions, but nothing's happening, nothing concrete, but Kalidou Sidibe has a potential exit plans."
Reports in Portugal also claimed Celtic were in contact with Rio Ave over a deal for Demir Tiknaz - with the Portuegese side holding an option to buy in his Besitkas loan.
‌
However, the £4.2million trigger has now expired - and any deal looks to have been place on hold.
Takvim claim that Tiknaz will remain part of the Besiktas first-team for the next season after boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was impressed with the 20-year-old's stint in Portugal.
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 on 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.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

BBC News

27 minutes ago

• BBC News

Scottish gossip: Rangers agree Aarons deal

Rangers are preparing to offer their star midfielder a new deal while getting closer to adding to their squad as Celtic also close in on signings... Rangers have agreed a deal with Bournemouth to sign right-back Max Aarons, 25, on loan. (Sky Sports), externalRangers are preparing to offer in-demand midfielder Nicolas Raskin a new contract (Scottish Sun), Scotland winger Pat Nevin suggests Rangers should cash in on forward Hamza Igamane, 22, this summer. (Record), externalMeanwhile, Rangers have agreed to settle a legal case brought by a finance firm over a fans pre-payment card but Lord Sandison is not yet content to end the action because of a lack of detail. (Sun), externalCeltic are close to completing deals to sign Fulham forward Callum Osmand, 19, and Nordsjaellen winger Benjamin Nygren, 23. (Record), externalHearts are keeping tabs on Millwall and Scotland forward Kevin Nisbet, 28, as a possible alternative to out of contract striker Lawrence Shankland, 29. (AberdeenLive), externalHibernian are still in talks with defender Rocky Bushiri, 25, and winger Junior Hoilett, 35, about staying on at Easter Road. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), externalMeanwhile Hibs will pocket over £1m for Dylan Vente with Dutch club Heerenveen set to make an offer (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), David Martindale said Livingston "were told that if we were getting promoted, we'd need to lift our pitch and replace it" before they secured a return to the SPFL Premiership via the play-offs. (Sun), external

Daily Record

an hour ago

• Daily Record

Rangers told exactly what Jamie Vardy wants with 49ers on double duty for 10 club transfer battle royal

The veteran striker is in demand this summer after leaving Leicester City as a free agent In-demand Jamie Vardy will want guaranteed game time from his next move and a "less intense" environment than the Premier League for his next move. That's the view of former Leicester City and England striker Emile Heskey amid interest in his signature from Rangers. ‌ The Light Blues are said to be among the club chasing the 38-year-old after his Leicester exit with the new owners Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises eyeing a landmark deal. ‌ But they are far from the only clubs eyeing a deal - with repots in Spain suggesting the 49ers are doubling up on their interest in Vardy. According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Vardy has interest from Leeds United as well as the Scottish Premiership side - with the Premier League new boys also owned by the NFL giants investment wing. La Liga sides Villarreal, Valencia, Real Betis, and Sevilla are all said to have "shown interest" in Vardy as he weights up his next move. Austrian outfit RB Salzburg and Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC are also said to be monitoring the veteran striker alongside cash-rich Championship men Wrexham. And Heskey reckons that the chance to make a move Stateside could appeal to the attacker - rather than join Russell Martin and his American revolution due to the level of intensity of the MLS. ‌ He told VBET: "It all depends on what Jamie Vardy wants to do with the rest of his career. "There are plenty of teams in the bottom half of the Premier League who could benefit from his experience and goal threat from the bench. But I can't see him being a starter in the Premier League. "If Vardy went and played for Wrexham in the Championship, it would be a lot of games for him to endure at his age. ‌ "I played in the Championship at 37, it was relentless, the stress of those games at that age felt much worse than it ever did in the Premier League, so it won't be easy for him if he signs for Wrexham. "Rangers would be a similar story to the Premier League, a little bit less intense, fewer games, but also less game time, I'd imagine. "If I were Vardy, I'd probably go and play abroad. If he has offers from the MLS or somewhere similar, I would go and enjoy football while getting a lot of game time, scoring goals in a less intense environment than the Championship." ‌ 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 on WhatsApp, where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.

The Herald Scotland

2 hours ago

• The Herald Scotland

Watching someone from your part of the world thrive is deeply moving

A lad from Oban. A former shinty player. A Nike athlete now carving his name into golf's global conversation. It's the kind of story that sticks with you not just because of the golf, but because of what it represents. In a world of meticulously planned coaching academies, perfect-weather practice facilities, and high-performance pathways, here's a reminder that greatness can also come from gritty winter mornings in Argyll, from muddy shinty pitches, and from a love of sport that runs deep in the blood. For young Scottish players especially those still hacking around their local course or just starting to believe that sport might offer them something more Bob MacIntyre is the kind of beacon they need. We talk about representation a lot, but this is what it really looks like: a local lad making it all the way, not by being plucked from a golf school pipeline, but through sheer ability, determination, and love for the game. He makes it feel possible. And that sense of possibility is powerful. You can't fake the vicarious buzz of watching someone who sounds like you, who shares your sporting DNA, competing against the game's biggest names and coming out with his head held high. It plants a seed not of entitlement, but of belief. Now, don't get me wrong I'm under no illusion I'll ever swing it like Bob Mac. Even before two fractured ribs put me on the sidelines, my golf was more grit than grace. But watching him at the U.S. Open this week did something to me. It made me want to get the club back in my hand as soon as I can. I won't play like him, but that's not the point. The point is drive and his performance has given me plenty of that. When you're carrying injuries, or trying to rewire your body after major setbacks, motivation can waver. You lose a bit of rhythm, then maybe a bit of confidence, and before you know it the clubs start gathering dust. But then someone like Bob reminds you what it feels like that hunger to test yourself, to be part of something bigger than the scorecard. MacIntyre's background in shinty one of the toughest, most unforgiving sports going makes his rise even more impressive. There's a certain rawness to players who come through that route. It's not just the physicality, though that certainly helps. It's the mindset. The willingness to scrap, to graft, to find a way when conditions are against you. That's the Scottish sporting mentality at its best and golf, a game that can test your mental fortitude to the limits thrives seeing people like Bob almost win the US open. There's no question this moment is a huge boost for Scottish golf. We've had greats before, legends like Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie, but it's been a while since a young Scot made this much noise on such a big stage. With so many distractions pulling at young athletes and with golf sometimes struggling to compete with flashier, faster-moving sports Bob's performance is a jolt of electricity. It reminds kids across Scotland that their story doesn't have to stay small. That their swing, honed on windy fairways or parkland courses battered by rain, can take them somewhere. It also reminds us those later to the game, those playing with physical limits, those just trying to keep going that there's still plenty of joy to be found in chasing the game. Even when you're not breaking 80. Even when your ribs are protesting. Even when your body doesn't quite do what it used to. I've played a handful of rounds in recent months, still finding my feet on the course, still learning what my body will tolerate. And though progress is slow, the game is slowly taking hold of me. Watching the U.S. Open with Bob Mac in the mix, wasn't just entertainment, it was fuel, and the reminder to be where your feet are. Not just for me, but for thousands of us across Scotland who've ever dared to imagine ourselves in the game. MacIntyre has made it real. He's turned potential into performance. He's shown that a wee lad from Oban can go toe-to-toe with the world's best and do it with humility, humour, and that quiet Highland resilience. For all the data and the swing speeds and the coaching gadgets that dominate the modern game, sometimes what you really need is a story like this, one that cuts through the noise and lands right in the gut. A reminder that the game is still ours, and the dream is still alive. So, thank you, Bob. You've done more than play well. You've reminded a nation and at least one sore-ribbed golfer watching from the sidelines just how far this game can take us.