Scottish Gossip: Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Middlesbrough, Olympiakos, Hamilton, Stendel, Cosgrove, Soro, Tsimikas, Barnsley

Scottish gossip

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Israeli club Bnei Yehunda have put a value of £3m on midfielder Ismaila Soro, the 21-year-old from Ivory Coast who is being watched closely by Celtic but is also attracting the interest of French Ligue 1 club Dijon. (Daily Record)

Rangers are pondering a January move for 23-year-old left back Kostas Tsimikas, according to Greek outlet Page News, after the Greece left-back impressed this season with Olympiakos, but Werder Bremen, Nice, Fiorentina, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Rennes have also been linked with an interest. (Daily Record)

Middlesbrough assistant manager Robbie Keane was at Pittodrie on Wednesday to assess 23-year-old Aberdeen striker Sam Cosgrove, who is also interesting Stoke City and has been linked with Derby County, in their 2-2 draw with Rangers. (Daily Record)

Hearts caretaker manager Austin MacPhee expects the Edinburgh club to finalise Daniel Stendel's appointment as permanent boss next week, with a compensation dispute with the German's former club, Barnsley, having delayed his arrival. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Hearts owner Ann Budge has described her attempt to secure Daniel Stendel as the club's new manager as a "tortuous process", the deal having hit a snag with Barnsley demanding compensation for their former manager. (The Scotsman)

Daniel Stendel is likely to be appointed Hearts' new manager before the sporting director that they plan to have working alongside him, but in a departure from the previous director of football role occupied by Craig Levein, the sporting director will be charged with going out and getting the players, or at least the type of players the manager wants. (Daily Record)

Cluj head coach Dan Petrescu has been left angered after rivals Botosani refused to postpone their Romanian league game to allow his side more time to prepare for their final Europa League group fixture against Celtic. (Daily Record, print edition)

Celtic manager Neil Lennon is hopeful that striker Odsonne Edouard, left-back Boli Bolingoli and wingers Jonny Hayes and Mohamed Elyounoussi will be in contention to start Sunday's Scottish League Cup final against Rangers, with all four set to train again on Thursday. (The Herald)

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard says his players could not handle the pressure against Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday as they let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 to slip two points behind Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership. (Scottish Sun)

Rangers captain James Tavernier was hit by a pie as the right-back was taking a throw-in at Pittodrie during their 2-2 draw with Aberdeen on Wednesday. (Evening Times)

Hamilton Academical head coach Brian Rice has claimed that Celtic's stoppage-time winner on Wednesday should have been disallowed by referee Alan Muir due to a foul in the build-up. (The National)

Portland Timbers striker Foster Langsdorf, a 23-year-old who has played twice for the Major League Soccer club's first-team, has been handed a trial by Dundee. (Scottish Sun, print edition)