Celtic

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Celtic "still have a bit of work to do" to get to where they need to be for the beginning of their Scottish Premiership title defence, says manager Brendan Rodgers, but they have been "absolutely superb" on their pre-season tour of the US.

Rodgers' side face Chelsea later on Saturday in their final friendly game across the pond and have already beat Manchester City.

The performance against Pep Guardiola's side was one which impressed Rodgers, as have the training sessions.

“In North Carolina we had good training and a great game,” the manager said, now in Indiana. “We’ve recovered and having finished a good training session is this amazing facility, we’re prepared and looking forward to the game.

“I think I mentioned that earlier on in pre-season that we weren’t at our level in terms of pressing, because it’s so important, that defines how good you are in attack.

"So, for us, it’s more of the same. The players have been absolutely superb all over the course of pre-season but in particular over this tour we’ve had here.

"Our game is based around that pressure and intensity because when we play with that, then you can see it’s the same rhythm with the ball and we look very effective."

Rodgers also confirmed that USA international, Cameron Carter-Vickers, will feature in his homeland against Chelsea having missed out in previous games due to his involvement in Copa America.

"We’ve been scoring goals, we’ve been really creative and working well," he added, "but there’s still a bit of work for us to do before we arrive to where we want to be against Kilmarnock."

Celtic have signed goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo this summer, but are yet to bring in an outfield player.

Which positions do you think the club need to target if Brendan Rodgers' side are to achieve their goals this season? Are there any particular players you think Celtic should be after?

Have your say here, external.

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Celtic have rejected a third offer of near £14.4m from Atalanta for Denmark midfielder Matt O'Riley, 23. (Gianluca Di Marzio - in Italian), external

Southampton manager Russell Martin would not confirm or deny a bid for Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley but admitted that he has kept in touch with the 23-year-old since they worked together at MK Dons. (Daily Echo), external

Mechelen have bid for Celtic defender Stephen Welsh, 24. (Record), external

Celtic may be looking for a new left-back but manager Brendan Rodgers wants Greg Taylor, 26, to sign a new contract extension. (Sun), external

Celtic will open new contract talks with left-back Greg Taylor in the coming weeks. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers stresses that Kyogo Furuhashi, 29, is not for sale, insisting the Japan striker is happy at the Scottish champions. (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Paulo Bernardo will sign a five-year contract with Celtic after a fee of around £2.5m, with a significant sell-on clause, was agreed with Benfica for the 22-year-old midfielder who spent last season on loan in Glasgow. (Mais Futebol), external

St Johnstone youth defender Callan Hamill has travelled with Arsenal’s under-18 squad for pre-season, but the 15-year-old is facing a decision on his future as Celtic have tabled a three-year contract offer. (The Athletic), external

Celtic winger Ben Quinn could land himself a move to Mansfield Town after the 19-year-old impressed manager Nigel Clough by scoring three goals in as many friendly games while on trial with the League One club. (Football Scotland), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Twenty-seven years ago today, in the summer of 1997, Celtic officially signed Henrik Larsson from Feyenoord, the Sweden international striker joining during the managerial reign of Wim Jansen.

Having gone on to play 315 games and scored 242 goals, he is widely considered to be one of the club's greatest-ever players and has been dubbed "The King of Kings" by the Celtic faithful.

We asked for your thoughts on Celtic's performance in their pre-season friendly win over Manchester City.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Andy: Some excellent performances. Khun did well and the pass for Kyogo's goal was outstanding but shout-out to Kasper for a great debut. Nearly stopped their opener too! O'Riley looks better with every game. Pity we won't keep him. That said, we desperately need defenders. It is so obviously the weakest area of the team. Also need striker cover for Kyogo.

Jim: I think they still need cover for midfield as O'Riley moves on, and McGregor needs looking after. Cover at full-backs as well as big striker and possibly another academy graduate.

Dave: Glad to see Kuhn getting off to a good start. Drifted in and out of matches last season but Celtic needs someone reliable out there on the right with an ageing Forrest and inconsistent Yang.

Ian: Kuhn looked really good, as did Schmeichel and O’Riley. Need to cough up for Idah and get after a quality left back, left-sided centre half and a replacement for O’Riley, otherwise, it will be ‘same old same old’ in the CL.

Gordy: Khun definitely looks fitter pre-season, Kasper is a great addition in goal, however good to remember it was a friendly, but another good workout for some players who struggled last year, hopefully with a few quality additions we can get a run in Europe but it is looking very encouraging for the new season.

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Goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist has left Celtic to join Romanian top-flight club Rapid Bucharest.

The 32-year-old Swiss has joined the club on a permanent deal and links up with former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, who took over at the Romanian outfit this season.

Siegrist joined Celtic from United in 2022 but made only two first-team appearances - both in the League Cup and the last in October that year.

Having come through Aston Villa's youth ranks, he had moved to Burton Albion, Cambridge United, Solihull Moors, Wycombe Wanderers and Vaduz before impressing with United.

Southampton have had a £14m plus add-ons bid for Matt O'Riley rejected by Celtic and it could take a record Scottish fee of more than £25m for the Premiership champions to part with the 23-year-old Denmark midfielder. (Scottish Sun), external

Paulo Bernardo is on his way permanently to Celtic for £3.4m, with Benfica retaining 30% of any sell-on fee for the midfielder who spent last season on loan to the Scottish champions. (Coluna Vermelha on X), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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No new outfield signings, no problem?

Celtic delivered an impressive showing in North Carolina to defeat Premier League champions Manchester City 4-3 during their pre-season tour of the United States.

Nicolas Kuhn was the star, scoring two goals before providing a sublime assist.

Click here to have your say, external on the match, as well as the German winger's performance and Celtic's pre-season so far.

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Manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful Celtic fans will see the best of winger Nicolas Kuhn in the upcoming campaign amid an impressive pre-season.

The German forward scored two goals and assisted another in a fine first-half display in the Glasgow side's 4-3 win over Manchester City in North Carolina.

The 24-year-old has taken some time to adapt since signing for the club last January, but Rodgers has hailed the condition he has returned in.

"He's come back looking really sharp," the Celtic boss said. "The moves for the goals were outstanding to play through City's press and he was away.

"He finished his two goals really well and and his pass for the third goal was magical. He was very good."

Speaking to Celtic TV, Kuhn added: "It's good to have a full pre-season with the team, I'm getting closer with everyone."

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel played his first minutes for the club in the victory over Pep Guardiola's side, making two impressive saves to deny Erling Haaland.

Rodgers said the occasion was a "lovely introduction" for the veteran Dane.

"Everyone expects him to [make those saves], he's one of the best in one-on-one moments," he added.

"He makes himself so big. His personality will be huge for the team and the club."

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Celtic notched up their second win in their pre-season USA tour with a 4-3 victory over an under-strength Manchester City in North Carolina.

Erling Harland, Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips and Rico Lewis started for the English champions, who also included a clutch of academy players while their Euros and Copa America stars regain their fitness.

Nicolas Kuhn opened the scoring for Celtic after just 13 minutes,

City winger Oscar Bobb levelled the score just after the half-hour mark, but Kuhn restored Celtic's lead three minutes later before Kyogo Furuhashi added another just before half-time to put the Premiership champions 3-1 up at the break with Kasper Schmeichel - making his Celtic debut - pulling off two sharp saves against Haaland to keep his former side at bay.

The second half saw City find the netback short shortly after the break, courtesy of Maximo Perrone, before Haaland finally scored to level the game shortly before the hour mark.

But Luis Palma made it 4-3 for Celtic, tapping home Kwon Hyeok-kyu’s pass to secure the win.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for his side after the game.

He said: "Whenever you play Pep [Guardiola] teams it is so complex how they play. I said before the game that it would be another step up for us physically but also tactically as you have got to be so concentrated and press in the right moments.

"You can't always press or else you end up running more. I thought the players dealt with that so well. The football we played was excellent. The goals were class and we attacked and showed how much we wanted to attack.

"It was a really good night and the supporters were amazing once again."

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Greg Taylor, the 26-year-old Scotland left-back, admits his Celtic future is up in the air after contract talks stalled. (Daily Record), external

Celtic and Benfica have agreed a £3.5m transfer fee for Paulo Bernardo to return to the Scottish champions after last season's loan deal and the 22-year-old midfielder will have a medical in the coming days. (TeamTalk), external

Roma have entered the race for 23-year-old Celtic-linked Royal Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha. (Corriere della Sera via Daily Record), external

Having had a £2.1m bid rejected for 21-year-old Celtic-linked midfielder Jakub Kaluzinski, Real Valladolid are set to up their offer, with Antalyaspor holding out for £3.4m. (SporX), external

Brondby director of football Carsten V Jensen has admitted the club could sell 22-year-old Celtic-linked forward Mathias Kvistgaarden this summer. (Daily Record), external

Venezia midfielder Tanner Tessmann is in no rush to make a decision about his future, with Celtic among clubs reportedly interested in the 22-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport via Daily Record), external

Read the rest of today's Scottish football gossip here.

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The draw for the last 16 of the Scottish League Cup will take place on Sunday.

It will be broadcast live on Premier Sports following their coverage of Motherwell v Partick Thistle at Fir Park, which kicks off at 15:00 BST.

The top-flight's five European representatives - holders Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Kilmarnock and St Mirren - will enter the draw and will also be seeded, along with the three best group winners.

All last-16 ties are scheduled to played on the weekend of 17/18 August.

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New Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has vowed to "thrive on" the challenge of "coming into a club that is used to excellence".

The 37-year-old Denmark captain has reunited with manager Brendan Rodgers, who says the pair had "a wonderful time working together" at Leicester City.

Celtic boss Rodgers, who won the FA Cup with the Dane, says the club are getting "a winner" who is "at the very highest level".

Schmeichel, who had a short stint on loan at Falkirk as a Manchester City youngster in 2007, says a return to Scotland "was exactly what I wanted and is everything I'm looking for" after ending a one-year spell with Anderlecht.

Now, the biggest challenge facing him is "making sure I perform" for a club with such high expectancy.

"I'm here to do a job and be the best I can be," Schmeichel told a media conference before Tuesday's pre-season friendly with former club City in North Carolina.

"It's a new experience for me in the sense that the club has a big history of winning. I'm looking forward to the challenge of coming into a club that's used to excellence.

"That's the thing I thrive on and I'm looking forward to being a part of that."

Celtic have rejected a second bid of around £14.3m, plus add-ons, from Atalanta for 23-year-old midfielder Matt O'Riley, but talks are ongoing between the clubs. (Sky Sports), external

The Scottish champions are hoping for an overall package of around £26m, which is far off what Atalanta are offering for Denmark international O’Riley. (TeamTalk), external

Manager Brendan Rodgers says Celtic will not be forced into selling O'Riley. (Sun), external

Meanwhile, Rodgers hints he wants two new strikers this summer. (Glasgow Times), external

Benjamin Siegrist is expected to complete his move to Rapid Bucharest from Celtic after flying in for a medical on Monday, with the goalkeeper having agreed a two-year contract, with a 12-month option, at the club managed by Neil Lennon. (Football Insider), external

The collapse of Tanner Tessmann's transfer to Internazionale means Fiorentina will deepen discussions about signing the 22-year-old Venezia midfielder, who was linked with Celtic at the weekend. (Firenzeviola), external

Celtic's feeder club in Austria, Admira Wacker, have revealed they are set to get more loan players this season from the Scottish champions. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Celtic captain Callum McGregor says the club want to put on a show for their supporters abroad.

Brendan Rodgers' side are currently on a tour of the United States as part of their pre-season preparations, and McGregor hasn't been surprised by the incredible numbers of fans stateside.

"The support is unbelievable," the midfielder told CelticTV, external.

"It doesn't matter where you go in the world you'll always see somebody with a Celtic jersey. They'll always sniff you out.

"It shows you the gravitas that the club's got, you go all over the world and there's people wanting to see you.

"For us, it's important that we give our best while we're over here. The fans here don't get to watch a lot of games live so it's important while we're here we show them what they're missing."

Celtic have released a striking new away kit for the 2024-25 season, which the club describe as "the return of the beloved yellow jersey".

The yellow shirt has thin horizontal green hoops as well as a "bold clover crest", and is accompanied by green shorts and yellow socks.

The last time Celtic wore a yellow away kit was the 2019-20 season when they won a domestic treble.

Italian side Atalanta have launched a new bid for Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley, worth around €18m. (Fabrizio Romano on X), external

Celtic are likely to reject Atalanta's second approach for 23-year-old star Matt O'Riley. (Scottish Sun), external

Manager Brendan Rodgers is determined to bolster the Celtic attack with two new strikers as work continues to bring Adam Idah back from Norwich City on a permanent basis. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Monday's Scottish gossip.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed his side's "defensive intensity" as they started their American tour with a 4-0 friendly win over DC United in Washington.

Matt O'Riley bagged a double, while Mikey Johnston and James Forrest both came off the bench to score for the Scottish champions, but Rodgers credited his backline for providing a platform for the attackers to flourish.

Liam Scales and Stephen Welsh started as the centre-back pairing, while 17-year-old Colby Donovan and 20-year-old Matthew Anderson were the full-backs.

"I was really pleased with the performance in terms of this stage of the season," Rodgers told Celtic TV.

"One of our key targets was defensive intensity because I always think when you have that defensive attitude then that brings the offensive attitude which is fast and dynamic.

"We pressed the game so well, all the guys from the first whistle really there in contention making the last step to win the ball.

"That sped up our offensive play. Some of our football on a really difficult surface was exceptional. Our physicality was good across the board and lots of young players playing and doing really well."

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Southampton are prepared to "push the boat out" to sign Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley. (Sunday Mirror via Record), external

Celtic's Swiss goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist, 32, will undergo a medical with Rapid Bucharest on Monday with a view to completing a move away from Glasgow. (Football Insider), external

New Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel, 37, watched on from the stand as Brendan Rodgers' side scored four without reply in their friendly win over DC United at Audi Field. (Sun), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

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Matt O'Riley scored twice as Celtic defeated hosts DC United 4-0 at Audi Field.

The Denmark midfielder, 23, opened the scoring and added to his and the visitors' tally before half-time.

New goalkeeper signing Viljami Sinisalo replaced Scott Bain at half-time and wingers Mikey Johnston and James Forrest added further goals.

Brendan Rodgers' side continue their pre-season American tour with a friendly against Manchester City in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Tuesday then face Chelsea in Notre Dame, Indiana on Saturday.

Celtic midfield target Paulo Bernardo, 23, who was on loan at the club from Benfica last season, remains in negotiations with the Scottish champions regarding length of contract and salary after the two clubs agreed a transfer fee. (A Bola, in Portuguese), external

Venezia midfielder Tanner Tessmann, 22, is linked with Celtic and four other clubs but Inter Milan will not be signing the United States international. (Gianluca Di Marzio, in Italian), external

Atletico Madrid and Liverpool have been kept informed about Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley's situation, with the 23-year-old Denmark international having already attracted interest from Atalanta. (Rudy Galetti on X), external

Celtic goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist, 32, has opened talks over a move to Neil Lennon’s Rapid Bucharest. (Record), external

Meanwhile, Celtic are linked with Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha, 23. (Sacha Tavolieri on X), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip