Scottish Gossip: Celtic, Hibs, St Johnstone, Rangers, Partick Thistle, Dundee United

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Manager Ronny Deila insists Celtic will only sign Manchester City winger Patrick Roberts if a long-term loan deal is on offer, with the English Premier League club not keen to commit the 18-year-old to the Scottish champions beyond the end of the season. (Daily Mail)

Start midfielder Kristoffer Ajer, the 17-year-old who had a trial with Celtic recently, says he is still in talks about a transfer to the Scottish champions. (The Sun)

Celtic manager Ronny Deila believes 18-year-old Kieran Tierney is ready to be fast-tracked into the senior Scotland squad after ousting the vastly more experienced Emilio Izaguirre as Celtic's first choice left-back. (The Scotsman)

Everton are considering a bid for Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall after Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids made Goodison Park number one Tim Howard a summer signing target. (Daily Record, print edition)

Scotland and Preston North End striker Stevie May faces a three-month wait for surgery on the knee he damaged two months ago because it is still too swollen to operate on. (Daily Record, print edition)

Blackburn Rovers are close to signing 22-year-old former Celtic striker Tony Watt from Charlton Athletic on loan after a permanent transfer to Cardiff City fell through. (Lancashire Telegraph)

Tony Watt is being linked with Blackburn after being on loan from Charlton to Cardiff

Hearts hope to sign Dundee striker Craig Wighton in a £60,000 transfer, the 18-year-old having been on the fringes at Dens Park and having just returned from a spell on loan with Raith Rovers. (Daily Express, print edition)

York City manager Jackie McNamara is set to offer Derek Riordan a career lifeline after a successful trial period with the side sitting bottom of England's League Two, the 32-year-old former Hibernian, Celtic and Scotland striker having been without a club since leaving East Fife in the summer. (The Scotsman)

Manager Alan Stubbs has revealed that he tried to persuade Dominique Malonga, who has an Italian wife, to stay at Hibernian but could not stand in the striker's way when Serie B club Pro Vercelli 1892 made an approach for an undisclosed fee. (The Scotsman)

Hibernian manager Alan Stubbs is considering giving on-loan Celtic striker Anthony Stokes his first start in the League Cup semi-final against St Johnstone. (The Herald)

St Johnstone striker Steven MacLean has signing a new contract until May 2017, with a further one year option after that. (The Courier)

St Johnstone midfielder Murray Davidson has vowed not to change his combative style despite the fact that a yellow card against Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup on Saturday meaning he would miss the final should the Perth side win at Tyncastle. (The Courier)

Ross County striker Liam Boyce has been fitted with a temporary cast as he attempts to prove his fitness for the League Cup semi-final against Celtic, the 24-year-old having not featured so far this year after sustaining a broken hand during the 3-2 victory against Kilmarnock at the end of December. (The Herald)

Former Queens Park Rangers striker Antonio German, a 24-year-old who recently scored six goals in nine games for Indian Premier League side Karela Blasters, could sign for Partick Thistle. (The Sun, print edition)

Partick Thistle are hoping to persuade captain Abdul Osman to sign a new contract despite manager Alan Archibald admitting that they might not be able to match the wages on offer from Premiership rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Motherwell. (Daily Mail, print edition)

Derek Riordan has been on trial with Jackie McNamara's struggling York City

Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald is sure that speculation surrounding interest in Stevie Lawless will not affect the midfielder when the teams meet this Saturday at Firhill. (The Herald)

Rangers manager Mark Warburton has dismissed talk of him walking away from Ibrox because of a failure to secure his signing targets and has stated he trusts chairman Dave King to deliver. (Daily Record)

Tony Fitzpatrick, the former St Mirren player and manager, says it is a "dream" to have returned as the club's new chief executive. (The Herald)

Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson has warned the troublemaking element in the Edinburgh club's support that their antics are putting his transfer plans at risk. (The National)

Raith Rovers have signed 21-year-old St Kitts & Nevis striker Harry Panayioutou on loan from Leicester City. (Deadline News)

Dumbarton have signed 19-year-old Sheffield United winger Kler Heh on loan. (The Scotsman, print edition)

OTHER GOSSIP

A new three-point anti-doping plan has been approved by the board of Scottish Athletics, giving the governing body the power to expunge any Scottish national records set by athletes who are subsequently banned for a serious doping offence. (The Herald)

Paul Lawrie credited a putting tip from fellow Scottish golfer Marc Warren for getting him in pole position for a third victory in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. (The Herald)

World number two tennis player Andy Murray has been voted the sporting hero Scots are most proud of in a special Sport Relief survey. (Daily Record)