Gossip column: Ashley, Allan, Stubbs, Ciftci and Wakaso

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Rangers are ready to go to war with shareholder Mike Ashley in a bid to rip up the commercial deal with the Newcastle United owner's Sports Direct company after discovering it includes a seven-year notice period - and the two parties will battle it out at a general meeting on 12 June. (Daily Record)

Rangers will target the signing of Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan this summer, but the Edinburgh club will demand at least £500,000 for the player who has a year left on his contract. (The Sun, print edition)

Hibernian manager Alan Stubbs has distanced himself from reports linking him with the vacant post at Sheffield United, but he is believed to be a target for the League One club along with former Brentford boss Mark Warburton, former Reading manager Neil Adkins and Bradford City's Phil Parkinson. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Willem II say that Celtic are the only club to have made an offer - of £800,000 - for full-back Mitchell Dijks, but Ajax and Feyenoord remain favourites to sign the 22-year-old after he spoke to his club's Dutch rivals last week. (Daily Record, print edition)

Ghana winger Wakaso Mubarak is poised to join Monaco after failing to win a permanent move to Celtic after a season on loan with the Scottish champions from Rubin Khazan. (Daily Record, print edition)

Scott Allan (right) is being linked with a switch from Hibs to Rangers this summer

Goalkeeper Kyle Letheren is a target for Partick Thistle as a replacement for the departing Scott Fox after the Welshman left Scottish Premiership rivals Dundee, but the 27-year-old also has interest from clubs in Greece and Scandinavia. (Daily Record)

Motherwell were within minutes of signing midfielder Haris Vuckic from Newcastle United on loan in January before play-off opponents Rangers secured a deal for the Slovenia international. (Daily Mail)

Motherwell winger Chris Humphrey says Stuart McCall will be hurting whoever goes on to win the Premiership play-off because of the affection the Rangers manager holds for his former club. (Daily Record)

Former Celtic forward Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink says Rangers must get back to the Premiership for the sake of the Scottish game - even it means heartbreak for his old strike partner, Scott McDonald, now with play-off rivals Motherwell. (The Herald)

Scottish Players' Union chief Fraser Wishart believes that some Premiership clubs may be forced to turn part-time as a consequence of the low wages being offered to their players. (The Scotsman)

Nadir Ciftci is set for a long wait to discover if he is facing a ban from the Scottish FA as it is set to chew over the evidence for at least two weeks after the Dundee United striker was accused of biting opponent Jim McAlister during Sunday's Dundee derby. (Daily Record)

Kayleigh McAlister, the wife of Dundee winger Jim, has waded into the 'bitegate' affair with an online rant Nadir Ciftci, accusing the Dundee United striker of biting her husband on the leg. (Daily Record)

Former Celtic striker John Hartson insists that the Scottish champions should not be put off attempting to sign Dundee United striker Nadir Ciftci even if he is found guilty of biting Jim McAlister in Sunday's Tayside derby. (The Scotsman)

Dundee lost 4-3 to Crystal Palace in a testimonial match for goalkeeper Julian Speroni

Scotland midfielder Graham Dorrans is poised to sign a permanent deal with Norwich City and secure a £3m transfer after helping Alex Neil's side win promotion to the Premier League while on loan from West Brom. (Daily Mirror)

Almost 2,000 Dundee fans made the trip to London to honour club their former goalkeeper, Julian Speroni, in the 36-year-old's testimonial game against his present club, Crystal Palace, the London side winning 4-3. (The Courier)

Marley Watkins hopes to use the big stage of Saturday's Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park to press his claim for inclusion in Wales' European Championship squad, the Inverness Caledonian Thistle midfielder having been placed on international stand-by earlier in the season. (The Scotsman)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle midfielder Marley Watkins was born in England's capital, his family on his maternal side hail from France, and could even qualify to play for Scotland under residency rules but has set his heart on a call-up for Wales. (The Herald)

Hearts owner Ann Budge could attempt to resurrect the Festival Cup, a derby against Hibernian, next season because of the Easter Road club's failure to win promotion alongside their Edinburgh rivals. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Dumbarton will announce Stranraer's Stephen Aitken as their new manager at a Wednesday media conference. (Daily Express, print edition)

Arbroath's John Christison, the longest-serving chairman in Scottish football history, has been honoured for his 26 years in the game, with the 63-year-old being given an Angus Council civic reception. (The Courier)

OTHER GOSSIP

Scotland and Ireland have indicated they would welcome participation as the England and Wales Cricket Board considers expanding the County Championship to 21 teams as part of its plans to restructure the domestic game. (Daily Telegraph, print edition)

Munster coach Anthony Foley has identified the Fijian duo of Niko Matawalu and Leone Nakarawa as key parts of Glasgow Warriors' dangerous offloading game ahead of Saturday evening's Guinness Pro12 final in Belfast. (The Scotsman)

Andy Murray has suffered two big football defeats during his recent winning streak on clay, beating beaten inhis fantasy football league by his uncle and then the Hibernian fan, whose grandfather Roy Erskine played for the Easter Road club, saw his team lose out in the Championship play-offs to Rangers. (Daily Record)