Scottish Gossip: Dembele, Barton, Celtic, Lennon, Kilmarnock, Rangers, Neilson
Last updated on .From the section Football
FOOTBALL GOSSIP
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers insists in-demand striker Moussa Dembele is going nowhere in January. The French forward has reportedly attracted interest from a host of clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool.
"If we get a really talented player there's probably a cycle of a couple of years with them," says Rodgers. (Various)
Former Rangers midfielder Joey Barton says he has no regrets over joining the Ibrox club and that he has no axe to grind with Mark Warburton. (Various)
Rangers target Rushian Hepburn-Murphy is poised to quit Aston Villa, paving the way for the striker to join the Scottish Premiership club. Mark Warburton could net the star for a £220,000 compensation fee. (Daily Record)
Gary Mackay-Steven is "thrilled" to be featuring again for Celtic and the winger aims to impress Brendan Rodgers to earn an extended run in the manager's starting line-up. (Various)
Hibs manager Neil Lennon says his troubled 17-month stint in charge of Bolton hasn't put him off managing in England again but stresses that his priority is being successful at Easter Road. (Daily Record)
Former Hearts boss Robbie Neilson, now in charge of En glish League One outfit MK Dons, is prepared to wield the axe following the 4-1 defeat by Yeovil in his dugout debut. (Various)
Lee Clark has warned his Kilmarnock players they will have no excuse for freezing on the pitch after they became the first Scottish club to take delivery of a cryo chamber. "One chamber is going to be set at -70C, the other one will be at -140C," said Clark. "The players can stand or walk about in the chamber and it is there to aid recovery. They'll spend roughly three minutes in the chamber." (Various)
Aberdeen winger Peter Pawlett has revealed that Dons boss Derek McInnes challenged him to add goals to his game - and he duly delivered - netting in the 5-1 thumping of Kilmarnock at Pittodrie. (Scottish Sun)
Celtic are still some way away from being the Champions League team manager Brendan Rodgers wants them to be. (Various)
Hearts assistant Austin MacPhee only met new manager Ian Cathro through a deal to sign former St Mirren striker Esmael Goncalves.
"I knew Ian and he knew me but we weren't friends or anything," says MacPhee. "We only started to exchange ideas about football over Esmael." (Various)
Meanwhile, Ian Cathro says he is looking forward to working again with Craig Levein - but insists he and not the director of football will be picking the team. (The National)
Hamilton boss Martin Canning insists he won't stand in the way of playmaker Ali Crawford, should the 25-year-old want to continue his career in England. (The National)
Motherwell manager Mark McGhee has hailed the progress made by Ross MacLean after the midfielder signed a new two-and-a-half year deal at Fir Park. (Various)
OTHER GOSSIP
Peter Horne, the Scotland and Glasgow Warriors back, could miss the entire Six Nations Championship after requiring surgery on an ankle injury. (Various)