Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been awfully cocky heading into Rangers’ trip to Parkhead.
Prodding a reaction from Philippe Clement over that now infamous ‘have a bit of fun’ quote, the Celtic manager didn’t stop there heading into the game.
Warning Rangers that they’ll be facing the ‘best’ Celtic side of Rodgers’ second Parkhead tenure, the challenge has been set ahead of a decisive Old Firm battle.
But rather interestingly Celtic could look towards Rangers, or namely the club’s Academy, for their long-term Joe Hart replacement come the end of the season.
Rodgers targets ex-Rangers keeper
The Daily Mail and journalist Stephen McGowan, who is known to have close links to Celtic, has been providing an update on the club’s transfer business.
Specifically, the journalist is claiming that Brendan Rodgers and Celtic are eyeing Motherwell’s Liam Kelly ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Scotland international goalkeeper, 28, is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Scottish top flight and has been at Fir Park since January 2021.
But it was at Rangers where the goalkeeper was developed with Liam Kelly a product of the Rangers academy set-up.
Having never actually played a game for the Ibrox side, Kelly was farmed out on loan to East Fife and Livingston before earning a permanent move to the Lions in 2018.
Since then the stopper has spent time at Queens Park Rangers before moving to Motherwell permanently in the summer of 2021.
Out of contract in the summer, Celtic are said to be considering a move for Liam Kelly as Joe Hart heads for retirement.
Kelly left Ibrox for a reason
Should the Parkhead’s interest in Liam Kelly materialise, he’ll follow the likes of Liam Burt from the Ibrox academy to Celtic Park.
And we all know how that turned out.
It’s a move which really perplexes with players always up against it from the off should they move to an Old Firm side despite having an affinity to the other side of Glasgow.
Liam Kelly also didn’t make it at Rangers for a reason.
With the Ibrox club now boasting Jack Butland between the sticks – the best keeper in the country by a sizeable margin – the Rangers number two is also extremely talented.
Robby McCrorie has always been preferred over Liam Kelly whilst coming through the Rangers youth ranks but chances are increasingly limited for the stopper.
Rangers meanwhile continue to press on with their own transfer prospects, the club in ‘advanced talks’ over an early £3m summer addition.
