Scottish Gossip: Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Hibs, Strachan, Dundee, Hamilton, St Mirren, Falkirk

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Celtic are close to completing a deal of around £300,000 plus add-ons for St Mirren midfielder Lewis Morgan, who would stay with the Championship side on loan until the end of this season, the 21-year-old having been scouted by several clubs in England, including Nottingham Forest and Preston North End, and Rangers. (The Herald)

Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain, who has been banished from the squad after a bust-up with manager Neil McCann, is among those being considered as a January signing by Hibernian as Ross Laidlaw faces the prospect of being sidelined until well into the new year. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Dundee are ready to let out-of-favour midfielder James Vincent, the 28-year-old who has 18 months left on his contract, leave on loan in January to free up wages for a new signing. (Daily Express, print edition)

Ostersunds left-back Gabriel Somi, who visited Tynecastle earlier this month to discuss a potential move to Hearts, is poised to join New England Revolution in the United States instead when the 26-year-old Swede's contract ends later this month. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Hearts owner Ann Budge says she can envisage a scenario where Craig Levein eventually moves back into a director of football role, allowing one of the club's young coaches to assume the manager's job, but she thinks the current team boss will be in the dugout for at least a couple more years. (The Scotsman)

Striker Kenny Miller hopes to be back in action with Rangers early in the new year despite fears he may have kicked his last ball for the club after a hamstring injury sparked concern that the 37-year-old might not be fit to play again before his contract expires in the summer. (Daily Record)

St Mirren's Lewis Morgan (left) is being linked with Celtic

Falkirk will take the radical step of axing their renowned youth academy in a huge overhaul aimed at getting back to Scotland's top flight after eight seasons in the Championship. (Daily Record)

Falkirk are to follow the Brentford blueprint of picking up the best young players released by clubs in Scotland and England as they look to cut the costs of running the Forth Valley Youth Academy they share with Stenhousemuir and East Stirlingshire. (Scottish Sun)

Former Scotland head coach Gordon Strachan says he regrets suggesting that genetics contributed to his side's failure to qualify for the World Cup finals but maintains that he is correct that the nation's inhabitants are too small. (Daily Record)

Former Celtic midfielder Paul Lambert has criticised the decision to "demote" Rangers in 2012, saying rival clubs failed to think about the impact the move would have on the game and the international team. (Daily Record)

Hamilton Academical defender Ioannis Skondras faces a hefty ban of up to 16 games after being charged over his part in the explosive melee with Ross County on Saturday. (The Scotsman)

Hibs chief executive Leeann Dempster says that, after director of football George Craig carried out a series of trips to English clubs, she has been inspired by the playing style and youth development behind the rise of Southampton, where his former Falkirk colleague, Ross Wilson, is director of football operations. (The Scotsman)

Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain is reportedly interesting Hibs

Peterhead manager Jim McInally has accused Hibs head coach Neil Lennon of "disrespecting" Cowdenbeath by suggesting that even the Fifers would have beaten his team as they lost to Aberdeen at the weekend. (Scottish Sun, print edition)

Highland League club Fraserburgh have confirmed there will be no public sale of home-end tickets for their Scottish Cup fourth-round meeting with Rangers at Bellslea Park on 21 January. (Scottish Sun)

Children under the age of 12 can attend Scottish Championship games free of charge over two weekends while the Premiership stops for its winter break in January, the Scottish Professional Football League has announced. (Evening Times)

OTHER GOSSIP

Stuart Benson, the retired 36-year-old bobsledder from Troon, is hoping to secure a belated bronze medal from the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi after life bans were handed to members of the teams who won gold and finished fourth. (The Herald)