Scottish Gossip: Rangers, Celtic, Hibs, Dundee United, Partick, Motherwell

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Mark Warburton has vowed that Rangers will not be held to ransom if St Johnstone want to play hard ball over Michael O'Halloran. The Ibrox club have had two bids of up to £200,000 rejected for the Saints attacker. (Daily Record)

Rangers' bids for O'Halloran fell well short of St Johnstone's valuation of around £600,000. (The Times)

Celtic legend Chris Sutton has branded the calibre of football under Ronny Deila as 'bang-average dross'. (Scottish Sun)

Sutton says the Celtic board need to back Deila with quality signings in the current transfer window. (Daily Mail)

Rangers are hoping to bring O'Halloran to Ibrox.

Celtic hitman Anthony Stokes is edging closer to a loan deal with Hibernian that will see him sign on at Easter Road until the end of the season. (Daily Record)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle boss John Hughes has given up hope of taking Stokes to the Highlands. (The National)

Mixu Paatelainen has urged Stokes to snub Hibs and become a hero at Dundee United. Paatelainen has made a bid to take the Irish striker to Tannadice on loan. (Scottish Sun)

United could be set for a £750,000 windfall, if former Tannadice full-back Andy Robertson joins Derby County from Hull City in a £7m deal. (Daily Record)

Alan Archibald has warned the Partick Thistle board he will quit if they attempt to sell star man Stuart Bannigan. (Scottish Sun)

Aberdeen are understood to be keen on Bannigan and may try to tempt the Firhill board with an offer. (The Scotsman)

Bannigan has been linked with a move to Aberdeen

Dundee boss Paul Hartley is hoping to add Spanish striker Arturo Juan Perez Reverte to his squad. (Daily Express)

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee believes had he not lost two playoff semi-finals - with Wolves in 1997 and with Millwall in 2002 - and won promotion to the English Premier League, he would be managing Liverpool now rather than the Steelmen. (Scottish Sun)

Hamilton goalkeeper Michael McGovern wants Martin Canning to pick himself at centre-back as he reckons the player-manager is the best defender at the club. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP

Andy Murray's former coach Brad Gilbert believes fatherhood can inspire the Scot to further success, just as it did for world number one Novak Djokovic. (The Scotsman)

Lee Jones has sounded a rallying cry to his wounded Glasgow Warriors teammates in a bid to salvage their season. (Scottish Sun)