Rangers give ‘more than £5m’ valuation as Celtic interest emerges

Hibs and Hearts both suffered heavy losses in their weekend outings with the Hibees enduring their first defeat under Nick Montgomery. The Easter Road outfit headed to Ibrox where they were greeted by Rangers’ new boss Philippe Clement, keen to make an impact.

The Belgian manager got off to a superb start with the Leith-based team left to rue their errors. A brace from Abdullah Sima as well as goals from Nicolas Raskin and Cyriel Dessers handed Hibs a 4-0 defeat.

Sunday saw an almost-equally disappointing fixture with Hearts being beaten 4-1 at home to Celtic. Lawrence Shankland was able to end his goal ‘drought’ with a consolation netting in the second-half but it was too little too late for the Jambos as Brendan Rodgers’ team was in full control. Ahead of another busy week with the Edinburgh teams swapping last weekend’s opponents, here is the latest news from the Premiership.

Value of Rangers key-man set to increase

Rangers privately value goalkeeper Jack Butland at more than £5m amid interest from Birmingham City and do not believe anyone in the English Championship would meet their demands for the 30-year-old (Football Insider).

This news comes as TeamTalk report there is little interest form Ibrox to sell their goalkeeper. Butland joined Rangers on a free transfer in the summer window and while the Gers value him at £5 million, it is believed that his price tag will only rise if his good form continues.

This would of course be a huge profit for the club who have a history of selling their best-performing stars but Butland is currently under a long-term contract which is set to run until May 2027

Ibrox fans hope to sign goal-scoring star

Abdallah Simahas issued a “let’s see what is going to happen in a few months” message amid calls by some Rangers fans for the in-form 22-year-old striker’s loan move from Brighton & Hove Albion to be made permanent (The Scotsman).

The Ibrox star scored twice in Rangers’ recent win over Hibs and his performances in recent weeks have led some fans to hope his move from Brighton and Hove Albion be made permanent. However, speaking after the win over Hibs, the Senegalese footballer said: “I don’t know. I’m just happy to be here and to score goals and enjoy every minute of being here at Rangers.

“Before I came here, they told me it is a big club with amazing fans, but I didn’t expect it to be as big as it is. Let’s see what is going to happen in a few months.”

Hoops boss eyes return of Premier League star

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has admitted he would like to see Ryan Christie extend his contract at the club, with the Scotland midfielder also saying he is settled in England’s south coast, amid reports south of the border suggesting that Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers could be keen on bringing the 28-year-old back to the Scottish Premiership when his contract expires (Daily Record).

The Scotland playmaker left the Hoops in September 2021 in a deal worth around £2.5 million. He has been ever-present since signing the three-year deal at the Vitality Stadium but reports have suggested the Northern Irish manager could be keen to bring him back north of the border when his contract expires.

The 38-year-old, however, appears relaxed with his situation and last month said on his situation: “I’m more than happy (here). Especially with the baby now, I love living in Bournemouth. It’s a great place to stay and my family is nice and settled as well. My main hope is to impress the new boss as much as I can. If that leads to talks about a new contract, so be it.”