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Neil Lennon expects Odsonne Edouard to be in demand in the near future, believing Celtic's star striker is good enough to also thrive in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
Hoops boss Lennon made the statement when asked about Edouard's future, per Andy Burke of BBC Scotland:
"He could play in the Premier League and Champions League, no question, with the form he is in. At 22, he has it all in front of him. I just hope he keeps getting better and better with us. I don't know (if we can keep him). We have had no enquiries for him but I am sure somewhere down the line for someone of that quality there will be."
Lennon's confidence about Edouard's ability to make the grade in England's top flight comes at a time when Premier League heavyweights are being told to sign the Frenchman.
Former Celtic players, including Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas, have said Edouard would be a hit if he moves on, per Uche Amako of the Daily Express: "Odsonne Edouard is good enough to go and play at a Chelsea or a Manchester United."
Nicholas, who played for the Hoops during two spells between 1979 and 1995, compared Edouard's rise to that of Moussa Dembele. The latter moved to Glasgow from Fulham in 2016 and parlayed a pair of excellent campaigns into a transfer to Lyon in 2018.
Dembele has been linked to Chelsea and Manchester United, per L'Equipe (h/t Robbie Copeland of the Daily Record). The French publication has noted how the Blues are in pole position, with Celtic entitled to 10 percent of any transfer fee.
A potential windfall on Dembele could tempt Celtic to cash in on another young and gifted French attacker. Edouard was on loan with the Hoops during the 2017/18 season and secured a permanent switch from Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the campaign.
The 22-year-old has exceeded his countryman with superb production in front of goal. Edouard has helped himself to 23 goals in all competitions, putting together a consistent run during the early stages of this calendar year:
Those performances are boosting Edouard's standing and value on the market. Aside from Nicholas, another former Celtic striker, Chris Sutton, compared Edouard to club legend Henrik Larsson during an appearance on BT Sport (h/t Aidan Scott of The Scottish Sun).
Sutton also said Edouard could fetch a fee of £40 million, per the Daily Record's Craig Swan. Meanwhile, Nathan Salt of MailOnline named Edouard as a potential summer replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette, should either leave Arsenal, while also noting how Leicester City are keen on Celtic's main man.
Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers briefly worked with Edouard at Celtic Park and likely understands how far he could go.
Edouard's career ascent could also see him became a regular for France's senior side. He would offer more pace than Olivier Giroud and greater versatility than Wissam Ben Yedder.
Giroud is being overlooked at Chelsea, despite the Blues' lack of consistency at the position. Tammy Abraham has promise, but Michy Batshuayi appears to be on borrowed time.
As for United, the Red Devils know they need help up top to offer more support to Marcus Rashford. The club secured a six-month loan for Odion Ighalo during the winter window, but Edouard would represent the future.
There is no denying Edouard's natural talent, and his speed, strength and ability to play anywhere up top will keep him firmly on the radar of clubs inside the Premier League and beyond.
Kieran Tierney's Celtic team-mates want the left-back to resist ongoing links to Arsenal and stay in Glasgow, according to winger James Forrest.
The Scotland international applauded the way Tierney has conducted himself while the Gunners transfer rumours have intensified, per Jake Polden of the Daily Mirror:
"Ask anyone in our dressing room, we all want KT to still be here. He's been a great player for us and everyone is hoping that come Friday he is still here. We want him to get back playing for us. He came with us for pre-season and we still see him at training every day.
"But considering how long the talk about Arsenal has gone on, I think he's handled it really well. KT is still only 22, so he's coped well. Every day there seems to be something new in the story. But he's just keeping himself to himself and working hard. That's credit to him."
Tierney has spent most of this summer's transfer window drawing interest from north London. Celtic have knocked back a pair of bids, with the last offer thought to be worth as much as £25 million.
Despite the Hoops' reticence to let Tierney go, Arsenal remain keen to acquire the 22-year-old:
Arsenal's chances of finally getting a deal over the line may have been boosted by Celtic showing interest in Brentford's Rico Henry as a possible replacement worth £7 million, per The Sun's Alan Nixon.
Celtic's need for an alternative to Tierney may not necessarily be about Arsenal, though. The full-back has been dealing with a hip injury, according to his manager Neil Lennon, who recently told Sky Sports (h/t Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard): "Kieran started kicking a ball on Wednesday, but he's still feeling some discomfort there."
When fully fit, there is no doubt Tierney would represent a significant upgrade on Arsenal's incumbent left-backs Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac. The latter is a useful attacking outlet, combining pace and power going forward, but his final ball is inconsistent, while his positional sense in defensive areas remains suspect.
Meanwhile, Monreal lacks the athleticism to press high and recover quickly defensively the way head coach Unai Emery wants. Monreal is now 33 and perhaps better suited as a centre-back in a three-man defence.
By contrast, Tierney is dynamic enough to make Emery's pressing tactics work. He has the engine to raid forward at will, as well as the instincts and recovery pace to make sure the Gunners aren't caught on the break quite so often.
Tierney has been showcasing his complete game on both the domestic and European stages in recent seasons:
Pairing Tierney with Hector Bellerin, once the Spaniard has returned to full fitness, would give Arsenal a buccaneering and multipurpose full-back duo most teams in Europe would envy.
Wrapping up a deal by Thursday won't be easy, though, especially with the Gunners still needing to add a quality central defender:
If Arsenal can complete the signing of Tierney before the transfer deadline on Thursday, it would represent excellent business after the club-record deal for winger Nicolas Pepe.
The Scottish Premiership is the top domestic soccer league in Scotland. The 12-team football league has historically been dominated by the top two clubs from Glasgow—Rangers and Celtic, nicknamed the Old Firm.
Rangers have won the league championship 54 times, while Celtic have won the title 49 times.
No team outside of the Old Firm has won the league since Aberdeen in 1984-85.
United States men's national team standout Timothy Weah recently completed a loan move to Celtic from Paris Saint-Germain for the remainder of the season. He will likely feature prominently in Celtic's efforts to win both the Scottish Premiership and the UEFA Europa League.
Below is information on how to watch and live-stream Scottish Premiership matches in the U.S., the league schedule, table and latest news.
Scottish Premiership: Live Stream, How to Watch
Select Scottish Premiership matches can be watched and streamed live in the U.S. exclusively on B/R Live.
Live-streaming options on B/R Live for Scottish Premiership matches include $2.99 for single matches, $9.99 for a monthly soccer pass and $79.99 for a yearly soccer pass. The subscription options include access to watch the Scottish Premiership highlight show, which streams every week the league plays matches, as well as all soccer airing on B/R Live, including UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches and highlight shows.
Watch the Scottish Premiership on B/R Live here.
Scottish Premiership: League Schedule
Following the winter break, the Scottish Premiership returns to B/R Live on Wednesday, Jan. 23. From that point, B/R Live will stream two to three live league matches per week through the end of the season, along with the highlight shows once a week.
Here is the upcoming Scottish Premiership schedule on B/R Live, with all times ET:
Wednesday, Jan. 23: Kilmarnock vs. Rangers, 2:45 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 27: St Mirren vs. Hibernian, 8:30 a.m.
Sunday, Jan. 27: Livingston vs. Rangers, 11 a.m.
Friday, Feb. 1: Kilmarnock vs. Hearts, 2:45 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 3: St Johnstone vs. Celtic, 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 6: Aberdeen vs. Rangers, 2:45 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 17: Motherwell vs. Hearts, 7:15 a.m.
Sunday, Feb. 17: Kilmarnock vs. Celtic, 11 a.m.
Sunday, Feb. 24: Hamilton vs. Rangers, 7:15 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 27: Hearts vs. Celtic, 2:45 p.m.
Find the full 2019 Scottish Premiership schedule here.
Scottish Premiership: League Table
Every team in the Scottish Premiership has played 21 matches this season, with the exception of Celtic and St Johnstone, who have each played 20.
Celtic and Rangers are tied at the top of the league table with 42 points, although Celtic have that game in hand.
Behind the Old Firm, Kilmarnock have 41 points, and Aberdeen have 39. Kilmarnock have won the league once in their history (1964-65) and finished runner-up four times. Aberdeen have won the league four times (most recently in 1984-85, when they were coached by legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson) and have finished runners-up 17 times.
Here is the full Scottish Premiership table.
Scottish Premiership: Latest News
The biggest Scottish Premiership news of the January transfer window occurred when Celtic brought in Weah on loan from PSG for the remainder of the season.
The 18-year-old USMNT player has already been introduced at the club and begun training with the squad. Weah has appeared in eight matches for the U.S., starting six times. He's tallied one goal and one assist. With the PSG first team, he had scored twice in six matches.
On the other side of Glasgow, Rangers brought in veteran English striker Jermain Defoe on a loan from Bournemouth for the next 18 months as they fight for the league crown.
Before the winter break, the Old Firm Derby aired on B/R Live, with Rangers securing a crucial win over Celtic in what was a frenetic, dramatic match that somehow only finished 1-0.
For more of the latest league news and updates on the Scottish Premiership, visit the league's official site.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Timothy Weah has completed his loan move to Celtic, the Scottish club confirmed Monday.
“Timothy’s a young talent who is a full international player," Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said in the club release. "He has a long career ahead of him but he has those natural attributes in terms of his pace and technique. He’s hungry too.
“He’s been in the PSG squad and featured for them in pre-season. With the quality of players they have, it’s difficult for him to get in and get any game time. They wanted him to go out on loan and saw Celtic as a great possibility.
“He has really good qualities technically, and tactically is always improving his game. Physically he’s very good, very fast and is a strong player. He’ll add competition to the squad.”
The 18-year-old son of former PSG and AC Milan ace George Weah has been limited to a single start in Ligue 1 this season, and he scored his only goal as a substitute against Caen.
Here is a look at that goal:
A temporary departure from the French champions was always likely, with Weah chasing more regular playing time.
Already a full U.S. international, Weah is regarded as a top talent, blessed with the physical tools that made his father such a feared attacking weapon. He's capable of splitting out wide or playing as a central striker, and while his body is still developing, he's already deceptively strong in duels.
Robin Bairner broke down the prospect for Scottish newspaper the Herald:
Here are some of his highlights:
Odsonne Edouard is Celtic's top scorer in the Scottish Premiership, but the former PSG man has seen his scoring rate fall dramatically in the past two months. Injury setbacks have played their part, and some added depth is sorely needed.
Celtic share the Premiership lead with Rangers and sit just one point ahead of Kilmarnock, with this year's title race shaping up to be the closest in years. The addition of a top talent like Weah should help their cause, even if the teenager hasn't played all that much this term and is relatively untested at the senior level.
This loan will give the youngster the chance to take the next step in his development, giving him a better chance at gaining significant minutes. He was never likely to play much in Paris behind Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani, and he faces much less competition in Glasgow.
Celtic have found ample success with French players in the last few seasons―Edouard, Moussa Dembele and Olivier Ntcham come to mind―and Weah is in a great position to continue that trend.
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Brendan Rodgers has described managing Celtic as "living in a dream" despite ongoing speculation linking him with taking over from Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Rodgers said the Gunners are a "great club" but revealed he isn't worried about the speculation, per Joe Shread of Sky Sports.
Having led the Hoops to a domestic treble last season, Rodgers talked up how happy he is in Glasgow, Scotland, but his comments also left the door ajar for an exit: "I'm loving my life up here. I'm not going to be here forever but I'm living in a dream. Dreams always come to an end at some point, that's for sure. But I am always relaxed about speculation. My focus is only on Celtic."
Focusing on Arsenal's struggles, Rodgers reminded people about his recent track record of getting teams into the UEFA Champions League:
"Arsenal are a great club, they have a great manager and they are going through a tough time of course."
"People will look at it and see that I went to Liverpool, they were struggling for five seasons for Champions League football and I was able to get them back."
"And when I came to Celtic, they hadn't been in the Champions League for two seasons and I got them back."
Ultimately though, the 45-year-old emphasised he "can't control" the speculation linking him to north London.
There are two ways to interpret Rodgers' words. One is at face value, as a straightforward admission from the man who guided Celtic to a 69-match unbeaten run he is content with life in the Scottish Premiership.
The other way would be to read a coded offering of his resume in Rodgers' comments. Mentioning the knack for Champions League qualification is significant since Arsenal are sixth in the English top flight and 13 points adrift of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and the last qualification place for Europe's premier club competition.
Pressure has intensified on Wenger's position as a second season without Champions League football looks increasingly likely.
Such pressure has led to reports of players-only meetings, with Neil Ashton of The Sun reporting centre-back Laurent Koscielny was in tears after back-to-back 3-0 defeats to league leaders Manchester City.
Ashton also said Wenger has lost the support of chief executive Ivan Gazidis, chairman Sir Chips Keswick and director Lord Harris of Peckham.
Wenger's future looks bleaker still after former Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood, who hired the Frenchman in 1996, told David Woods of the Daily Star, the 68-year-old has "overstayed his welcome."
Rodgers is reportedly on a shortlist of candidates who could replace Wenger this summer, despite the Arsenal boss having one year remaining on his contract, per Jeremy Wilson and Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph.
An interesting candidate, Rodgers coaches an attractive brand of football, one he used to help beat Wenger's Gunners during spells with Swansea City and Liverpool. Rodgers took the latter to the brink of the title in 2013/14, with a free-flowing Reds squad scoring 101 goals in the process.
However, defensive failings ultimately cost Liverpool, with Rodgers' team famously wasting a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Crystal Palace and help hand the title to Manchester City.
Celtic have dominated domestically on Rodgers' watch but have struggled to keep clean sheets in Europe, being eliminated from both the Champions League and UEFA Europa League this season.
Considering defensive fragility has so often undermined Wenger's forward-thinking teams, Arsenal may want to examine a candidate with a more balanced style and philosophy than Rodgers.
Never change Kolo Toure. Never. Change.
The Celtic defender's latest press conference involved some epic banter with journalists that ended in a singalong of the Kolo-Yaya song.
Superb stuff.
Scottish club Rangers officially introduced former Al-Gharafa manager Pedro Caixinha as their new boss on Saturday.
The club announced the news on their official website. Managing director Stewart Robertson commented on the appointment, saying:
We are delighted to welcome Pedro to Rangers. We compiled a shortlist of high-quality candidates for the position but we knew after our initial meeting with Pedro that he was the right man to take this club forward.
He is a man of great experience and authority and the Board has no doubt he will help us achieve our long-term goals. I would like to thank the Rangers supporters for their patience throughout the process but we were determined to appoint the best candidate possible.
Per the report, interim caretaker Graeme Murty will be in charge of Sunday's pivotal derby against Celtic. Caixinha will take over on Monday.
Caixinha expressed his delight at taking charge of the iconic club:
It is a great honour to join Rangers Football Club. This Club has a great history and tradition and I am proud to follow in the footsteps of legendary Rangers managers like Walter Smith, Graeme Souness and Jock Wallace.
Rangers is a name that is known worldwide and I am looking forward to forging a positive relationship with supporters and meeting the playing squad and staff at the Club.
The Portuguese isn't exactly a well-known name in the world of football, having spent the last few years in Mexico and Qatar.
Betting company Paddy Power noted some Rangers fans may be confused:
Rangers had been without a permanent manager since Mark Warburton left the club in February in odd circumstances. As reported by the BBC, the club released a statement announcing they had accepted his resignation, but the tactician denied resigning, leading to an uncomfortable standoff.
Rivals Celtic lead the Scottish league by a huge margin, with Rangers currently sitting third, six points behind Aberdeen. While the battle for the European tickets is all but over, the Old Firm derby remains one of the highlights of the season.
Waiting to hand Caixinha the reigns is likely a smart move from Rangers―it would have been harsh to put that kind of pressure on him straight away.
Celtic star Moussa Dembele has revealed teen starlet Karamoko Dembele is already taking part in first-team training, but he's being handled with care.
As reported by BBC Sport's Jonathan Sunderland, the older Dembele thinks it's too soon to speculate on the 13-year-old's long-term development: "We didn't want to kick him because he is still so small. He is a good talent but we have to wait and see how he will improve as a player."
Karamoko Dembele made headlines earlier this month by making his debut for Celtic's under-20 development team, despite being just 13 years old. Reaction was varied―Celtic were lauded for their commitment to youth players but also criticised for rushing such a young player through the system.
As shared by Bleacher Report UK, he's clearly too good to be competing against players his own age:
Celtic have made a clear effort to invest in their youth setup in recent years, headlined by Jack Aitchison, who made his debut for the club at the age of 16 last year, becoming the youngest player to do so.
The club also splashed the cash on Moussa Dembele, who has started the 2016-17 campaign on fire with 12 goals in all competitions.
Per BBC Sport, the younger Dembele made his debut for the development squad on the same day 15-year-old Kieran McGrath did. The team was missing six regulars due to international commitments.
Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has reportedly been charged by the Scottish Football Association for allegedly violating its betting rules.
That's according to the Daily Mirror's Martin Domin, who reported Barton placed wagers on 44 matches between July 1 and September 15.
Per the report, he has until October 12 to reply to the charge. The SFA later confirmed the news via their official website.
The 34-year-old moved to Glasgow from Burnley on a free transfer this summer, continuing his nomadic career. He previously played for Marseille, Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United and Manchester City.
Per the Sunday Herald's Alasdair Mackenzie, it's not the first time Barton has run into trouble in Scotland, as he's currently sitting out a three-week suspension following an altercation with Andy Halliday and manager Mark Warburton.
Mackenzie also shared the official notice from the Scottish FA: "Between 1st July and 15th September 2016, both dates inclusive, you placed 44 bets upon football matches and accordingly gambled upon football matches in contravention of Disciplinary Rule 31."
Barton's hearing date is set for October 27.
