Reo Hatate in Celtic transfer exit rethink as Lennon Miller to Parkhead ship may have sailed

1) Russell Martin gets down to work on Monday as his Rangers squad return for pre-season prep - how many new recruits will he need in to get past Panathinaikos?
KEITH JACKSON: Max Aarons is a decent start but Martin needs so much more than just a right back. Two central defenders will be needed as well as a left back, a couple of wingers and at least one striker. If Nico Raskin and/or Mohamed Diomande move on this summer then he'll need to rebuild his midfield too.
ANDY NEWPORT: Max Aarons is set to follow Lyall Cameron through the door but Rangers need at least another three in to be anywhere near comfortable of their chances against the Greeks. A centre-back, if not two, will be needed. As will another midfield playmaking option and someone to replace Vaclav Cerny out wide. That shopping list will grow if Cyriel Dessers departs.
SCOTT BURNS: You would like to think he would get, at least three or four in the door, before the Champions League qualifiers.
According to his dad Lee, Lennon Miller has his heart set on a move abroad - but should one of our big two be pushing the boat out to convince him to stay?
KEITH: It feels like that ship may have sailed already. Celtic have been keeping a close eye on developments but if Miller has made his mind up on moving overseas then there's nothing much the champions can do about it.
ANDY: Celtic and Brendan Rodgers have been in this movie before with John McGinn. I'm sure Lennon can be convinced to stay if he is assured of the minutes he needs to continue his development. The Hoops just need to come up with the right pitch to get the deal done.
SCOTT: Celtic are interested but it seems the player is keen to try his luck abroad. Miller has to do what is best for his own career. There is a world outside of Celtic and Rangers.
Celtic are closing in on a move for Nordsjaelland's Benjamin Nygren - where else does Brendan Rodgers need to strengthen this summer?
KEITH: Much of that will depend on where Reo Hatate's head is at this summer. He's been agitating for a move for a while behind the scenes but may have had second thoughts on the back of Kyogo Furuhashi's experiences in France.
Either way, Rodgers will be looking out for a new central defender, a wide man and a striker to fill the gap Kyogo left behind.
ANDY: He'll need cover for Kieran Tierney at left-back and could do with making another move to strengthen the centre-back options alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers. Another centre-forward is a big priority too.
SCOTT: He wants another two midfielders and a left-back with Callum Osmand coming in as the young back-up striker.
Only one of the Premiership's opening weekend fixtures will kick off at 3pm on a Saturday - is that fair on match-going fans?
KEITH: No but they're well used to it by now. The normal punter has been treated like a second class citizen for years in order to accommodate the broadcasters. And TV cash is king where our clubs are concerned.
ANDY: No but the punters have to accept that if their club wants the broadcasters' cash, they have to go with their scheduling. It's a pain but for the majority of weekends, most games will be back at the traditional mid-afternoon slot on a Saturday.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Record

14 minutes ago

• Daily Record

The Nicolas Kuhn transfer fee Celtic should jump at as RB Leipzig move could trigger signing splurge

Kuhn is believed to have suitors down south and in the Bundesliga RB Leipzig's reported £15million bid for Nicolas Kuhn is potentially a sign that the winger isn't completely happy at Celtic. That's the view of Record Sport's very own Scott McDermott, who reckons that the Bundesliga side's reported attempts to step up their interest in the 25-year-old aren't without any interference from the other side. ‌ Despite his form dipping in the second half of last season, Kuhn enjoyed a productive campaign in Glasgow's east end, registering 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 matches in all competitions. ‌ The former Bayern Munich kid is said to be a key target for incoming new Leipzig head coach Ola Werner while Premier League side Newcastle have also reportedly been keeping tabs on the wide man for quite some time. And our man McDermott hints that Kuhn's demeanour in the wake of Celtic's Premiership triumph last season could suggest that he is keen to move on from Brendan Rodgers' side this summer. Speaking on Monday's Hotline Live, he said: "For Celtic, it definitely is. I have said on here before that for £15million, you absolutely bite the hand off for it. "That's taking nothing away from Kuhn, who is a terrific player and has had a brilliant season but for that kind of money, you need to bite the hand on it. "I just wonder, and this is not any inside info, that Kuhn maybe isn't quite 100 per cent happy at Celtic. "I don't think he is angling for a move but I just don't think there is this speculation unless the player has intimated that he might be keen on a move. ‌ "We interviewed him at Tannadice when Celtic clinched the title. He came in and he was happy to win the league but he was a bit grumpy as well about the criticism he had got. "He felt that he needed to prove people wrong and that it was unfair when he got a wee bit of flak when he hit that dip. ‌ "Maybe he was right but he struck me as a guy who wasn't 100 per cent happy at Celtic. "It's interesting that several clubs have now been mentioned. "He has spoken about his determination to play for Germany and maybe he feels that going back to the Bundesliga or going to the Premier League will boost his chances of playing for the national team, despite what he has done for Celtic. "You are just getting that feeling as the summer goes on that Kuhn might be leaving and that certainly would explain why Celtic are keen to get the boy (Benjamin) Nygren in who plays in a similar position. "If Kuhn goes they might need to go back for another winger, certainly if they are getting £15million into the transfer coffers."

Glasgow Times

31 minutes ago

• Glasgow Times

Celtic star close to £15m exit as talks reach 'advanced' stage

The 25-year-old, who was a standout for the Hoops last season with 21 goals and 15 assists, is reportedly the subject of serious interest from his former club. His performances had attracted attention from Premier League sides Brighton, Bournemouth, and Newcastle. However, a return to Leipzig, where he impressed and scored against in the Champions League, seems to be on the cards for £15 million. Read more: German outlet Kicker claims that discussions have progressed in recent days, with Leipzig now leading the race for his signature. Kuhn, who has four years remaining on his contract, would represent a significant profit for Celtic, who signed him for £3 million at the start of last year. The player is said to be keen on a move back to Germany, with ambitions of breaking into the national team. Several other Bundesliga clubs are also monitoring the situation. The potential transfer comes after a slight dip in form towards the end of the last campaign but does not seem to have deterred his suitors. Despite the fee being less than what Celtic have received for other key players in recent years, it would still represent a huge profit on their initial investment. The Celts' supporters will await further news on this potential exit with interest.

Scottish Sun

36 minutes ago

• Scottish Sun

John Clark put world's best player in his pocket and Celtic hero would amaze me until the very end, writes Bill Leckie

THERE will never be another football man like John Clark. I don't write this as some romantic statement borne of sadness at his passing. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 4 Lisbon Lion John Clark sadly passed away today at the age of 84 Credit: PA 4 After winning several trophies with Celtic, he became the club's kit man Credit: PA 4 Bill Leckie has been looking back at the Celtic hero's life Credit: John Kirkby - The Sun Glasgow Just as a simple fact that they don't make them like him any more. A boy who climbed out of the Lanarkshire mines to win a European Cup. A man whose work ethic kept him turning up to graft behind the scenes into his 70s. An inspiration not only as a player who wrung every last ounce out of his ability, but as a mentor to generations of hopefuls who came to him for guidance in the decades after he hung up the boots. A gentleman and a gentle man, devoted to his family and loyal to his friends. As decent and humble a human being as you could ever be fortunate enough to meet. And, up until very recently, someone most who knew him would have seen as pretty damn indestructible. He always cut that sort figure; ageless, tireless, able to cope with whatever life threw his way. Yet just as injury cut short his top-flight career with Celtic when he was at his trophy-winning peak, so illness has taken him three months after his 84th birthday. What a career it was, though. What a life. Both played out with joy, with pride - and, as was thrown into the sharpest of reliefs in his later years, with a total absence of ego. In the days when journalists still travelled with the team, it never ceased to amaze me that someone who'd won the European Cup was bustling around far-flung airports at all hours, humphing hampers when he could - maybe should - have been there as a VIP. But there he was, every day at training and on matchdays at home and abroad, doing his bit for the cause of the club he loved, long after most of his age were up for nothing more strenuous than a game of bowls. He'd been the defensive linchpin of Jock Stein's all-conquering cavaliers, he'd been assistant manager to his great friend Billy McNeill, now he was in charge of the kit. And whatever the role, John gave it every bit of himself, he never let his standards drop. What's holding up Nygren Plus Kuhn & Maeda price tags REVEALED Celtic transfer special This absence of do-you-know-who-I-am-ness, the fact that you could see him go about his business without having a clue that he'd once had the greatest player on earth on his pocket, was - for me at least - a huge part of what made him special. It was 59 years ago tomorrow when I saw Scotland play for the first time, a 1-1 draw with Brazil on the eve of the World Cup. I was too young to remember much about it, but dad always raved about how a guy called John Clark had marked Pele out of the game; not with studs and elbows the way defenders would in England a week or two later, but with his timing and positioning and innate understanding of the game. Newspaper reports would always refer to him striding out of crowded penalty boxes, barrel chest puffed, bringing calm to chaos. Right until the end, he still carried himself the same way, he was forever officer material. At the peak of his fitness - not of mention of Celtic's greatness - he was also reliable as a Swiss watch. Between the April of 1965 and September of 1967, Clark played 140 consecutive competitive games for Celtic on his way to winning six league titles, three Scottish Cups and five League Cups. Some would be dining out on a record like that for the rest of their puff. John Clark preferred quiet dinners at home, where no one pried about who he was and what he'd done. Who he was and what he did, though, will be remembered forever. He may not have been indestructible after all. But his immortality was assured a long time ago. 4 Clark during his heyday for Celtic Credit: PA Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page