Celtic

Nicolas Kuhn scores twice as Celtic beat St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership (UK only).

Celtic defender Stephen Welsh is in Belgium to complete a loan move to KV Mechelen. (Daily Record), external

Celtic full-back Alexandro Bernabei is close to turning his loan move to Brazilian club Internacional into a permanent one following talks over the weekend. (Daily Record), external

Polish centre-half Maik Nawrocki wants to leave Celtic this month after growing frustrated with a lack of playing time. (Football Insider), external

Manager Brendan Rodgers accused a section of the Celtic support of showing 'disrespect' towards left-back Greg Taylor by chanting Kieran Tierney's name towards the end of the 3-0 win over St Mirren. (Daily Mail), external

Read the rest of Monday's Scottish gossip.

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Nicolas Kuhn added two goals to his impressive tally this season to help Celtic to victory over St Mirren as Brendan Rodgers's side moved 13 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Kuhn scored either side of the break to take his season's total to 16, with an Auston Trusty headed goal sandwiched in between.

The champions bounced back from their first league defeat of the season against Rangers on Thursday to take advantage of their rivals latest slip up at Easter Road and increase their advantage at the top of the table.

St Mirren made life difficult for a spell, pressing Celtic and not giving up much by way of clear-cut chances.

That resistance was broken by a fabulous opening goal for the hosts.

Celtic fans, were you at Parkhead on Sunday or following along from home? Either way we want to know what you made of your team's performance.

Have your say, external

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "It was a very good afternoon for us.

"We knew we were going to have to work really hard. The effort of the players, the movement of the players, the quality they showed was at a really good level. Overall I'm so pleased with the response.

"Nicolas Kuhn still has more to go. We play with fast wingers who have the possibility to create and score goals. For him and his numbers this season it's really impressive. He's doing very, very well.

"Luke McCowan gives everything every single day and deserves the opportunities that come to him. I know he'll be a wee bit frustrated with some of the errors but he makes a vital contribution to us every time he plays.

"There's still so many games to play, it's such a long season and there will be other markers along the way but at this moment in time the players have been fantastic. We've just got to recover now and look forward to Wednesday.

"We need to strengthen in general [in the January window]. We know what we're looking to do and we're 100% confident the club will do everything to support that. We have deals we want to do between now and the end of January."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Brendan Rodgers asked for some perspective after the non-performance from his side at Ibrox, pointing out it was their first league defeat of the season after a 34-game unbeaten domestic run.

While it would be a stretch to say Celtic were back to their very best here, they did show enough quality to get the job done in relative comfort.

The first goal was well constructed and, once the champions made the breakthrough, they took firm control.

Luke McCowan buzzed around the midfield, eager to get on the ball wherever possible and showed some real moments of class.

Alistair Johnson was a constant threat down the right, combining well with Nicolas Kuhn and putting numerous dangerous balls into the St Mirren box.

Kuhn once again was the game-breaker and if he continues the type of form he has demonstrated in the first half of the campaign, the winger will be hard to ignore when the player of the year awards are being handed out.

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Nicolas Kuhn was once again the driving force for Celtic. His two goals made it a comfortable afternoon for Brendan Rodgers' side.

La Liga side Rayo Vallecano want to sign Celtic and Honduras winger Luis Palma on a six month-loan. (The Herald), external

Scotland full-back Greg Taylor wants to join Dinamo Zagreb from Celtic, reports Croatian outlet Jutarnji List. (The Herald), external

Greg Taylor makes it his priority to stay at Celtic – despite the club's pursuit of former hero Kieran Tierney. (Daily Record), external

Scotland defender Kieran Tierney has rejected interest from Leicester City, Brentford, and West Ham as he nears a return to Celtic from Arsenal. (The Telegraph via Daily Record, external)

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.

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We asked for your thoughts on Kieran Tierney's potential return to Celtic after the Parkhead club held talks with the Arsenal defender.

Here's the best of what you had to say:

Danny: I think it's a great move. Super experienced player and with Alex Valle and Greg Taylor potentially on way out it could be a class signing. Would love to have him back.

Anon: Tierney is a massive risk because he has been injury prone for three years. Why would we sign a player with that fitness history and pay him all that money?

Brian: Getting Tierney on loan till end of season with the option to buy would be best idea. He could then prove if he could stay fit.

Peter: Very good player when he played at Celtic. Unfortunately injuries and time have taken their toll. Not the same player. Would not add to what we already have. Players coming back seldom work out for the player or the team. Better to spend money on a quality goal scorer.

Michael: I wouldn't sign Tierney. There is no denying he's a great player but his injury history is brutal. The board took the £25m for him knowing he was injury prone. They were 100% correct. He's hardly kicked a ball since he left.

Stephen: Left-backs are the rarest footballers. A fully-fit Tierney is a world-class performer. On that basis alone, a Celtic fan who has every attribute necessary at 27-years old is a no-brainer.

Bobby: Universal among Celtic fans is that we would love to see Tierney back at Celtic where he belongs. Fantastic player, model pro and a huge statement of intent from the club.

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Celtic midfielder Arne Engels could start after illness restricted him to a late appearance against Rangers.

Winger James Forrest remains out through injury.

Goalkeeper Zach Hemming is vying for a start after returning to St Mirren on loan from Middlesbrough, but incumbent Ellery Balcombe himself remains on loan from Brentford.

Forward Conor McMenamin is a doubt, while centre-half Charles Dunne remains out.

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Celtic captain Callum McGregor believes Sunday's Scottish Premiership match against St Mirren is the perfect time to "rectify" their surprise Old Firm derby defeat by Rangers.

The league champions suffered their first defeat at Ibrox since May 2023, but are still 11 points clear at the top of the league.

McGregor says the result was a wake-up call for Celtic before the visit of the Buddies.

"It just shows you that if you're not competitive in the game then it can happen," he said. "I think over the piece we've been so good in these games that maybe everyone's a bit like, 'oh, what happened there?'

"It's probably a testament to how well we've done and how much we've managed to go there and get results and play well.

"So, it's just a reminder that if you're not quite on the money then these games are tough and you can lose them and then the pressure starts to build so it's important that we reflect on the game and then we get it out of our system come Sunday.

"We just need to reset and go again. That's the good thing. There's a game in a few days so we can try and rectify it.

"Obviously, it is a different opponent and everything else, but you can try and get it out of your system.

"There's a lot of football in January, so just get that performance, get the high energy and just tick them off one at a time."

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• Celtic have won each of their last six meetings with St Mirren in all competitions, last winning seven in a row over the Buddies in March 2017.

• St Mirren have won just one of their last 36 away games at Celtic in all competitions (D3 L32), a 2-1 victory in January 2021.

• Celtic have lost just one of their last 72 home league matches (W61 D10), winning 17 of their last 19 (D2) since a 0-2 defeat to Hearts in December 2023.

• Only Dundee (one) have kept fewer clean sheets in the Scottish Premiership this season than St Mirren (two), who have recorded just one shutout in their last 20 league games (0-0 v Ross County in November).

• Celtic are looking to win six successive home league games while also keeping a clean sheet each time for the first time since February 2019.

Celtic are expected to contact Arsenal to begin negotiations about taking out-of-favour Scotland defender Kieran Tierney on loan until the end of the season, with talks having already begun between Celtic and the 27-year-old's agent about a permanent return when his contract with the Premier League club ends this summer. (Sky Sports), external

Celtic are hoping to announce the sensational return of Kieran Tierney from Arsenal on a pre-contract agreement over the next week. (Scottish Sun), external

Celtic winger Luis Palma is top of Genoa's January wish list, but they face competition for the out-of-favour 24-year-old Honduras from, among others, Greek club Olympiakos. (Genova Today), external

Celtic have rejected an offer from Internacional to sign Argentine left-back Alexandro Bernabei, with the Brazilian club's bid being below the £3.75m the Scottish champions paid for him in 2022. (The Celtic Way), external

Left-back Alexandro Bernabei, centre-half Maik Nawrocki and winger Luis Palma are all likely to leave Celtic this month. (Football Insider), external

Out of favour winger Jota has once again been sidelined by Stade Rennes boss Jorge Sampaoli amid rumours over a return to Celtic. (Daily Record), external

Johnny Kenny, the second top scorer in this season's Europa Conference League, has returned to Celtic after his loan to Shamrock Rovers, but while the striker wants to challenge for a first-team place with his parent club, the Irish outfit are keen to bring him back to continue their European campaign. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Five-and-a-half years since his £25m departure to Arsenal, Kieran Tierney is in talks over a return to Celtic.

The Scottish champions have opened discussions aimed at bringing the Scotland defender home on a pre-contract this summer.

Left-back Tierney was a homegrown hero during his four years in Celtic's first team, making his debut in 2015 and going on to win four consecutive league titles as well as two Scottish Cups and two League Cups.

At 27, he should be hitting his peak, but injuries have ravaged his body in recent years. Tierney was out for five months after suffering a hamstring tear at Euro 2024 and has featured just once, as a substitute, for Arsenal this season since recovering.

Out of favour at the Gunners, a reunion with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic would present the opportunity to reignite his career.

What do you make of the potential move - a great bit of business by Celtic to bring back a top-class talent? And should they be trying to sign him now rather than summer? Or does Tierney's injury record make you wary?

Let us know your thoughts, external

We asked for your views on Celtic's 3-0 derby defeat against Rangers at Ibrox.

Here's what some of you said:

Eamon: Worst performance of the season by a long way. Rangers wanted it more. Can't think of any player that put in a shift. The important thing now is how Celtic react. A couple of convincing wins will put us back on an even keel and let's see how Rangers go over the next two league games, the title can still be won in January.

Paul: A performance nobody could've predicted, but essentially every Celtic player contributed to their own downfall. None of them played to their full potential, letting Rangers dictate the game. Serious questions about the mentality of this Celtic side going forward, will it just be a minor blip or the beginning of a run of poor form?

Henry: Over-confident! Actually believing the league is won early January? Any team can have a bad game but lack of commitment, passion and workrate are no excuse for well-paid sportsmen. This defeat was certainly coming but the manner of it was shocking. Time for the manager to take notice.

James: Incredible! Despite no fans allowed we had 11 spectators on the pitch. Made an average team look good. When we're prevented from playing our A game we've no plan B. Still, they have the bragging rights for a few days but we'll have the silverware for years. Let's move on.

Ray: An off day indeed. Only Cameron Carter-Vickers gets pass marks. Some would say this was coming and the wayward passing of Liam Scales and Reo Hatate is a concern again. Stop the midfield playing and man-mark wide players and Celtic struggle.

Lee: Complacent, arrogant, lazy, just turned up. Same echo from an arrogant Brendan Rodgers interview, going to the lead in the league table rather than just being humble and accepting.

Brendan Rodgers' side "never looked like scoring" against a makeshift Rangers defence at Ibrox and need to react strongly to the chastening derby loss, says Asim Rabbani from A Celtic State of Mind.

Listen to all the derby reaction on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast

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Nicolas Raskin says it was "unfair" that Celtic captain Callum McGregor avoided a second yellow card for their tussle in Rangers' 3-0 derby win at Ibrox.

McGregor was on a booking when he became embroiled in a scuffle with stand-in Rangers skipper Raskin on the stroke of half-time, with the hosts leading 1-0. The pair grabbed hold of each other, although McGregor appeared to be far less aggressive.

Referee Don Robertson opted to only book Raskin, who later said: "I just didn't understand. McGregor and me, we had some contact.

"I think the referee wanted to book us both, but then looked at him and remembered he had a yellow and then just booked me.

"So it was a bit unfair for me, because if you book me, you have to book him. We've both done the same thing. So it's just a bit weird.

"I was calm. I was just explaining to the ref that it's unfair, because if you want to book, you book both players, you don't book one and not the other one.

"The ref explained to me that he just didn't really see but then you book no one, or you book both."

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• Rangers have beaten Celtic for the first time in the Premiership since 13 May 2023, a run of five games without a win.

• Celtic attempted four shots in this game, their lowest total in a single match in the Premiership this season.

• Rangers' 24 shots is the highest tally Celtic have faced in a league game since the Scottish top flight was rebranded in 2013-14.

• Ianis Hagi scored his first goal in the Premiership this season, netting for the first time since 21 May 2023 against Hibernian.

• Celtic ended the game with an xG of just 0.07, while Rangers had an xG of 2.13.

• Danilo has contributed to goals in his last four home games in the Premiership (two goals, two assists).