Celtic

Police in Scotland are investigated a fire and explosion at the home of Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell, according to ESPN.

A spokesperson from the club said Lawwell and his family "are extremely shaken and shocked by these terrible events."

"We can confirm that significant damage has been caused to Peter Lawwell's house and vehicles there, following an explosion and fire early this morning, forcing the family to leave the property," she said.

Authorities received a report of a car that had allegedly been firebombed outside of Lawwell's property, per the Guardian's Libby Brooks. The fire spread to surrounding vehicles and his home.

Fire and Rescue services have extinguished a blaze following an ‘explosion’ at the home of Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell. Police Scotland are investigating the cause of the fire.pic.twitter.com/71p8n9yI7Q

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 19, 2021

No injuries were reported.

Celtic announced in January that Lawwell would retire at the end of the season after 17 years in the role.

His departure comes at the end of a disappointing 2020-21 campaign. 

The Bhoys failed to advance past the second qualifying round in the UEFA Champions League and then finished bottom of their group in the Europa League. City rivals Rangers also snapped their nine-year run as Scottish Premiership champions. Steven Gerrard's side finished 25 points clear of Celtic atop the table. 

The Boston Celtics could be aggressive in pursuing trade deals ahead of Thursday's deadline, even parting with a core member of the rotation.

According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the Celtics have shown a willingness to deal" Marcus Smart in trades. Mannix referenced a potential deal involving Aaron Gordon but noted the Orlando Magic might not want the guard as part of their rebuilding effort.

Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported the Atlanta Hawks have "expressed interest" in Smart, which could give Boston more options.

Mannix noted the Celtics have also shown interest in Sacramento Kings wing Harrison Barnes, but "there has not been any traction in talks between the two teams."

Dealing Smart would be a surprise considering his value to Boston over the past seven years. He has been either a starter or played significant minutes off the bench for teams that reached the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the past four years.

The 27-year-old is especially known for his defense and has earned a spot on the NBA All-Defensive first-team in each of the last two years. His offense has also improved, with an average of 12.8 points per game this season, while his 5.4 assists per game would be a career high.

After missing more than a month with a calf strain, he could be an impact player for the rest of the season.

The problem is the Celtics have struggled with or without Smart available and sit eighth in the East with a 21-22 record.

Until Kemba Walker regains his past form, the team lacks reliable offensive options behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Adding another scorer, whether that's Gordon, Barnes, John Collins or someone else, would go a long way toward the team making a run this postseason.

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.

Is Odsonne Edouard as good as Moussa Dembele? 🤔

Take a look at this ➡️ https://t.co/4TydYIu9H2 pic.twitter.com/5J6KDXLbAc

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) February 6, 2020

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:

Odsonne Édouard since the winter break:

⭕ vs Partick Thistle
⚽ vs Kilmarnock
⚽⚽ vs Ross County
⭕ vs St. Johnstone
⚽⚽🅰️ vs Hamilton Academical
⚽⚽ vs Motherwell

A goal contribution every 58 minutes. pic.twitter.com/kAGonku34a

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) February 5, 2020

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.

Is Celtic's Odsonne Edouard good enough to play for France?

Celtic 2019-20
👕 37
⚽ 23

France U21
👕 6
⚽ 11 pic.twitter.com/ZODiqX3CdN

— GOAL (@goal) February 7, 2020

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:

Fee agreed between Arsenal & Bordeaux for Laurent Koscielny is up to €5m max. Medical as we speak, contract needs finalising. #AFC hope to sign a centre-back + retain Kieran Tierney interest despite injury. Carl Jenkinson to Nottingham Forest talks advanced #FCGB #CelticFC #NFFC

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 6, 2019

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:

Kieran Tierney in the Europa League last season:

Apps -- 6⃣
Shots -- 3⃣
Goals -- 1⃣
Key passes -- 1⃣0⃣
Accurate crosses -- 6⃣
Tackles -- 1⃣0⃣
Interceptions -- 1⃣3⃣
Rating -- 7⃣.1⃣3⃣

For more player stats -- https://t.co/E3X4UEtC4a pic.twitter.com/ShDt806jee

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) July 28, 2019

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.

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:

. @RBairner on what #Celtic fans can expect from Timothy Weah https://t.co/tm7DwvAXxC pic.twitter.com/vnydlZjK0s

— The Herald (@heraldscotland) January 7, 2019

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. 

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:

Another look at 13-year-old Celtic wonderkid Karamoko Dembele (🎥: @delbhoy007) https://t.co/a1eDKv2j3e

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 5, 2016

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.  

Celtic gave 13-year-old Karamoko Dembele a nine-minute debut for their under-20 side as they beat Hearts 3-1 in the SPFL Development League on Monday. 

Namesake of Celtic's 20-year-old French striker Moussa Dembele—who has been prolific for the Hoops' first team this season following a summer move from Fulham—the 2003-born Dembele replaced Jack Aitchison in the 81st minute against Hearts, per football writer Liam O'Hare:

https://twitter.com/Liam_O_Hare/status/783051381473173507

https://twitter.com/Liam_O_Hare/status/783060372651700225

Per Celtic's match report, "the diminutive playmaker didn’t look out of place and played his part in the closing stages."

According to PA Sport (via ESPN FC), Dembele has recently been named player of the tournament at both the St Kevin's Boys club competition in Dublin and Bassevelde Cup in Belgium—which Celtic won—and he is more regularly a star in the under-14s and under-15s.  

The below video shows a glimpse as to what he is capable of, and hints at why he was given his chance in the under-20 side:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr9AicDp5Uo

As noted by Bleacher Report UK, the Celtic youngster could soon add himself to the string of Dembeles currently pulling up trees across Europe:

Getting ever closer to the dream of having a #FIFA17 Ultimate Team made up entirely of Dembeles pic.twitter.com/SeUKpc7Z97

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 4, 2016

Along with Celtic's Moussa, Ousmane Dembele, 19, has started his Borussia Dortmund career brightly following his summer move from Rennes, while Tottenham Hotspur are still awaiting the return of 29-year-old Mousa Dembele from injury. 

Given how early Karamoko has made the step up to under-20 action, it may not be long before he joins them at a senior level in European football.