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There has been a cautious welcome from Scottish football fans to a report suggesting foreign referees could soon be in charge of Scottish matches.

According to a report in The Daily Record, that notion is being pushed strongly by Celtic after a meeting of Premiership clubs and the SFA to discuss the current issues with referees and discipline.

In 2010, during a strike called by referees, match officials were called in from Israel and Luxembourg before the problems were resolved.

This season there has been an unprecedented focus on refereeing decisions with a red card rescinded against Alfredo Morelos on the opening weekend of the season kicking off the mayhem.

A new Compliance Officer, Clare Whyte, at the SFA has complicated the issues through mixed messages and inconsistencies being sent out almost on a weekly basis.

It remains unclear in what circumstances the Compliance Officer can overrule decisions witnessed by match officials with almost all top flight clubs issuing statements of concern at some stage this season.

Celtic are reportedly keen to play a key role in drawing up recommendations for reforms to the current refereeing setup in Scotland, backing a proposal to recruit officials from other countries – similar ideas have already been floated by manager Brendan Rodgers and Tom Boyd.

The mechanics and costs of bringing in foreign referees has still to be assessed. Whether they’d get co-operation from Scottish assistants remains to be seen but the principle seems to be one that has support among fans of many clubs throughout Scotland.

Here’s a look at how they reacted on Twitter…

North East journalist Matty Jones has revealed that Tyrese Dyce will now follow Benji Kimpioka out of the Sunderland exit door.

The Lowdown: Kimpioka leaves

The Stadium of Light faithful confirmed on their official website that Kimpioka has now left to join Swedish side AIK Fotboll for an undisclosed fee.

The striker only made a mere 18 senior appearances for the Wearside club over the last four seasons, and at 22 years of age, has now left in the search for more regular first-team football.

The Latest: Dyce to follow

Writing in his latest piece for The Northern Echo, Jones has revealed that Dyce is also now set to leave, but will depart at the end of the season.

It is understood that the Black Cats did not want to offer him a new deal, while the player himself has also been frustrated by his lack of game time.

The Englishman has only played two senior matches for Alex Neil’s team, and so now looks to be following Kimpioka out of the club.

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that Dyce’s SAFC career looks to have ended so early, as he has certainly shown promise.

Renowned Sunderland podcasters Roker Report claimed that he looked ‘physically strong’ and ‘comfortable on the ball’ when they saw him play, while journalist and Black Cats fan Josh Bunting has also given glowing references of him.

Bunting was impressed with his performances in pre-season and with the U23s, claiming that he was ‘powerful going forward’, while he has also noticed how ‘creative’ he is from left-back.

Nonetheless, Dyce has not quite managed to cement a spot in the first-team squad, and so now is the time to part ways.

In other news, find out what triple boost SAFC have now been gifted before Gillingham here!

Rangers’ January signing Amad Diallo may not be ‘up to it’ at Ibrox, Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

With three days of the January transfer window remaining, Rangers signed Diallo on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst inherited the squad of his predecessor Steven Gerrard in the autumn, but this was one of four incoming deals he sanctioned in January as he looked to put his own stamp on the squad.

Diallo made a flying start for the Gers, scoring just five minutes into his debut against Ross County on 29 January.

But Van Bronckhorst then substituted him at half time against Celtic, with Rangers 3-0 down, after he lost five of the six duels he contested and conceded possession 12 times.

He’s only played 22 Scottish Premiership minutes since, and has watched all the Europa League knockout action from the sidelines.

The latest

McAvennie stressed that Diallo has the ability but says he may have encountered something of a culture shock.

And he feels it’s fair to question the wisdom of the signing in light of what we’ve seen so far.

“It’s a different game up here,” he said. “In England, players will take the ball. In Scotland, you take the ball and the man.

“It’s frantic, you get no time on the ball. Diallo doesn’t have the time to run with the ball, it can be a shock to a player.

“He’s only a young boy and he has bags of talent but maybe Van Bronckhorst doesn’t trust him.

“There are loads of options for Rangers in that position so if you aren’t up to the job, you won’t play.

“It just makes me wonder why they signed him if he’s not up to it.”

The verdict

This was a signing that felt like it could go either way.

Diallo had showcased his immense potential at youth level, notching 28 direct goal contributions in 46 appearances for Atalanta’s Primavera side.

But, on the other hand, he’d only made 14 senior appearances for La Dea and Manchester United combined.

Rangers haven’t committed to an expensive mandatory purchase option, so from that point of view it was still perhaps a risk worth taking, but it hasn’t paid off so far.

As McAvennie says, Van Bronckhorst simply seems to have very little trust in him.

After all, BBC Sportsound pundit Derek Ferguson has accused him of looking ‘half-hearted’, while journalist Andrew Dickson described his attitude as ‘really poor’ after he allegedly backed out of a challenge against Dundee United.

If the commitment isn’t there, then he can’t expect to play in important games.

In other news, this BBC man drops a transfer claim on Cedric Itten.

New Celtic signing Reo Hatate will already have caught the eye of clubs in England, Noel Whelan has claimed. 

The lowdown

The Japan international has barely been at Celtic a month, with his signing confirmed on 31 December as part of a J1 League triple swoop by Ange Postecoglou. The Hoops paid £1.4m to sign the midfielder, who penned a four-and-a-half year contract at Parkhead.

He produced a sensational performance against title rivals Rangers last week, scoring twice and providing an assist, and he continued that strong form against Motherwell on Sunday by providing the assist for Liel Abada’s opener in the 4-0 victory at Fir Park.

Sports journalist Josh Bunting has already seen enough to label him a ‘stunning addition’ by the Hoops.

The latest

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan suggested that clubs who come up from the English second tier may look to pursue Hatate in the summer based on his recent form.

When asked if English clubs ‘would be interested’ in the 24-year-old, the BBC radio pundit replied: “They will be. It might not be the top four in the Premier League but it might be people who get promoted from the Championship to the Premier League.”

The verdict

If he continues to shine, Hatate is bound to win some admirers outside Scotland, and he’s not the only one.

Kyogo Furuhashi, another signing from Japan in recent months, could conceivably end up in the Premier League in the not-too-distant future. According to a report from Calciomercato in September, Southampton are interested in the 13-goal forward.

This attests to the strength of Celtic’s recruitment, and while they would naturally want to be in a position to keep their best players, they may at least make a handsome profit on the likes of Hatate and Furuhashi (£4.86m) eventually if either or both were to be sold.

In other news, Kieran Devlin reacts to this transfer story involving Celtic 

Former Glasgow Rangers defender Richard Foster has been left slamming the defending by Connor Goldson that led to a Braga goal on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Semi-final awaits

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League after beating Braga 3-1 on the night, meaning that they went through 3-2 on aggregate.

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They made hard work of it at times though at Ibrox, conceding a late goal while the visitors were down to ten men to force extra-time, but then got the job done as the Portuguese outfit had another man sent off.

The Latest: ‘Poor’ defending

Speaking on BBC Sportsound (via BBC Sport 21:58pm), Foster was not impressed with Goldson’s defending for Braga’s goal scored by David Carmo, claiming that it was ‘so poor’, and that he lost his man ‘so easily’ and ‘doesn’t stop him running’:

“The defending of the corner was so poor. It was very similar to how poor Braga have been all night at corners. I don’t know how Connor Goldson loses his man so easily, or doesn’t stop him running. Now Braga have something to hold on to.”

The Verdict: Can do better

Goldson will know that he could have done better for their goal, and there were other aspects of his game that were not quite up to scratch.

The central defender lost out on two of his duels, while he also made no interceptions and was inaccurate with a team-high 12 of his long balls, losing possession 22 times in total (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, all of his focus will now be on their Scottish Cup semi-final against bitter rivals Celtic on Sunday afternoon.

In other news, find out which six-foot-two menace Gers are now ‘chasing’ this summer here!

An exciting Newcastle United transfer claim has been made regarding their attempts to sign Jesse Lingard…

What’s the talk?

CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that the Magpies are closing in on a deal to bring the midfielder to the Tyneside club this week.

He tweeted: “Newcastle are confident of signing Jesse Lingard in the next 48 hours. Looks like a loan deal. Told Lingard isn’t against a permanent move to SJP but wants game time first and then to assess options.”

Pete Graves has since revealed that Newcastle are pushing hard to get this one over the line and are waiting for Manchester United to give the green light.

The Sky Sports reporter added: “#nufc pushing hard to sign Jesse Lingard on loan from #mufc BUT awaiting final decision from Old Trafford. Club will pay loan fee plus full wages. Lingard desperate to play and speak to Newcastle as he weighs up his options. This one could yet happen.”

Delight

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted by this news, as it suggests that this particular transfer saga is coming to a successful end for the club. With less than a week to go before the window slams shut, the Magpies need to start getting deals done quickly, and securing Lingard on loan in the next two days could be a major boost for Eddie Howe.

He could be a fantastic addition to the team and give the fans a much-needed lift, with their side still sat in the relegation zone despite the win over Leeds at the weekend. Lingard is a proven Premier League performer who has the potential to come in and be a key player for the Toon in the coming months.

The England international proved his quality during a loan spell with West Ham last season as he was directly involved in 13 goals in 16 matches for the Hammers. He produced nine goals and four assists to help David Moyes’ side to a Europa League finish, and he could hopefully provide a similar level of end product for the Magpies to help them stave off relegation to the Championship.

Lingard has also shown off his talent at international level, with two goals and two assists in six World Cup 2022 qualifiers. This shows that he can do it for club and country, emphasising the point that he could be an excellent prospective signing for Newcastle.

Therefore, their supporters will be buzzing with the prospect of him arriving at St James’ Park on loan in the next 48 hours.

AND in other news, “I’ve heard” – Keith Downie drops key Newcastle transfer update, Howe surely buzzing….

New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will have a £200m budget this summer and has already got to work to create a four-man transfer shortlist.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag announced

The Red Devils finally announced the Dutchman as their new manager on Thursday morning.

Ten Hag was confirmed as Ralf Rangnick’s replacement from the end of this season, signing a deal through to June 2025 with an option of a further year.

The 52-year-old previously demanded to be 100% involved when it comes to new signings, and he has wasted no time by already having four possible marquee additions in mind.

The Latest: Four mega targets

The Mirror shared a story regarding Ten Hag and Manchester United shortly after the announcement, claiming the Red Devils will give their new manager £200m to spend ahead of his first season in charge.

Up to 12 players could leave the club, with Ten Hag placing Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Neves at the top of his wishlist.

The Verdict: Rebuild begins

Plenty of change is needed at Old Trafford ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, but getting Ten Hag confirmed prior to the summer window is a good first step.

He’ll have a huge job on his hands in what looks set to be an extremely busy summer off the pitch and it looks as if a new midfielder and forward is crucial as he gets to work already.

Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani look set to be two players who will leave as free agents, so one of Kane or Nunez and Rice or Neves could be shrewd moves to replace the two outgoing big earners.

In other news: ‘Source has told Sky Sports’ – Big live TV update on another Man Utd exit. 

Leeds United are really keen to complete a move for Brenden Aaronson before the January transfer window deadline on Monday…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who delivered a fresh update on the situation during a recent appearance on CBS Sports’ ‘Que Golazo’ podcast.

“Yes, it’s true. It’s true Salzburg rejected this proposal from Leeds,” he said. “They want him, they’re obsessed with him, they want to sign him. But Aaronson is an important player [for Salzburg].

“They feel that he would be perfect for Leeds immediately but the problem is Salzburg prefer to wait. They have European football, they want to keep him until the end of the season and maybe sell him in the summer.

“This is why the situation is still not easy between the clubs.

“The player would be open to this move but from the club’s side, from Leeds’ side and from Salzburg’s side, at the moment, nothing is agreed yet because they hope to keep the player until the end of the season.

“We will see what happens in the coming days. At the end of the transfer window, anything can happen. But at the moment, it’s not an easy one for Leeds.”

Gutting news

Whilst there is a glimmer of hope that the Yorkshire outfit can complete a move for their top target before next week, it seems rather unlikely on this evidence.

Romano has dealt a devastating blow to Marcelo Bielsa here as you’d imagine the Argentine is absolutely desperate for additions heading into the remainder of the current campaign.

His squad has been decimated with injuries regularly throughout the 2021/22 campaign and in some areas, they lack the strength in depth required to truly compete in the Premier League.

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They may well be clear of a relegation dogfight right now but that could quickly change with rearranged matches still to play and the likelihood of further injuries a sheer possibility, given the way things have gone already this term.

A new central midfielder is amongst the priorities, as evident by the link to Aaronson, and that’s hardly a surprise considering the Yorkshiremen haven’t signed someone in the role for four years and they are currently without a key player in the engine room in Kalvin Phillips.

The England international, who is ever so crucial to the way Bielsa sets up his Leeds team, is currently on the treatment table until March at the earliest. That’s another month minimum without such an integral cog.

He’s one of a handful of key first-team stars absent through injury – against West Ham in the Premier League recently, the Whites only had one senior pro on the bench amongst nine substitutes. That’s how bad it’s been.

Aaronson certainly fits the bill as your typical Bielsa signing – bags of potential, high work rate, good fitness and hugely versatile – but it seems as if this one will have to wait until the summer barring anything crazy before Monday.

Therefore, the Argentine head coach may be gutted heading into the second half of the campaign knowing that the club have failed to bolster his threadbare squad.

AND in other news, “They’ll be looking for”: Journo drops intriguing Leeds claim as Orta plots major move…

Celtic will complete the permanent signing of centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer, according to Tottenham insider John Wenham, but it will cost them three times the 2021 price.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers shines on loan

The 24-year-old made a temporary move to Parkhead last summer, with Spurs unable to promise him regular time due to being down the pecking order in north London.

Carter-Vickers has been superb for Celtic throughout this season, making 27 Scottish Premiership starts and shining alongside Carl Starfelt.

The American saved arguably his best performance of the campaign for Sunday’s 2-1 win at Rangers, as he scored the winning goal and defended resolutely, being hailed as ‘immense’ by Chris Sutton.

The Latest: Price has trebled since last year

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham firmly believes Carter-Vickers’ permanent move to the Hoops will go through this summer:

“Yeah, it’s simple, it just requires Celtic to transfer Tottenham £6million, it’s as simple as that. The player would want it and both clubs want it so there shouldn’t be any problems.

“They could have done it in the summer but the loan has been perfect for Tottenham. We would have let him go for £2million but we have trebled that price based on his performances.

“I couldn’t be happier with how it has gone because he plays pretty much every game up there. Cameron just isn’t at the level to play for Spurs so I am more than happy to move him on and bank that £6million fee.”

This aligns with a report from The Daily Record, who believe the Hoops will fend off competition from Leicester City, Wolves and Burnley thanks to the player’s preference to stay in Glasgow.

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The Verdict: Ideal for all parties

Some transfers can feel risky but this one looks like a match made in heaven, with all parties benefiting from Carter-Vickers trading Spurs for Celtic.

It would allow the player himself to settle at a new club that he already knows well, maturing into a formidable player and hopefully inspiring them to many trophies down the years.

Meanwhile, Spurs will be happy to get Carter-Vickers off their wage bill, with first-team opportunities looking hard to come by under Antonio Conte.

In other news, Chris Sutton has heaped praise on a Celtic ‘magician’. Find out who it is here.

With Sheffield Wednesday currently sitting in eighth place in the League One table with 40 points, 12 points behind league leaders Wycombe Wanderers, Darren Moore’s side will need to have a very strong reminder of the season if they’re going to have any hope of winning promotion to the Championship.

To help them have a strong final push towards promotion, the Yorkshire club could look to do some business while the current January transfer window remains open to help Moore strengthen his squad.

However, it seems as though things may not be quite so easy for the Owls this month in that regard, with Moore recently sharing an update on the current state of play that will have some fans concerned.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Yorkshire Live after seeing his side beat Plymouth Argyle 4-2 in their latest League One fixture, Moore had this to say on the current transfer situation at the club.

He said: “It would be nice to add to the squad. I have been told players are available from January 28 and 29 but I want to get players in now. Nobody wants to let players go. It has been really difficult but we will keep trying.”

Concerning

Having drawn more games (10) than any other League One side so far this season alongside Cheltenham Town, it would seem as though Wednesday could do with adding some players to their squad that can be clinical in front of goal or make them stronger at the back so they can have a better chance at winning games rather than drawing.

Therefore, with the Owls finding life difficult in the market and not looking likely to conclude any deals until late in the window, it will be hugely concerning to fans who are eager to see a return to the second tier.

Taking a closer look at their current squad, it’s rather imperative that they strengthen the backline.

With just three players that predominantly play in the centre-back position including Lewis Gibson who has struggled with his fitness for the majority of the season, as well as just three full-backs, it seems as though defensive reinforcements should be at the top of the club’s priority list if they are to sign some new players before the window closes.

However, with Moore claiming that the club may have to wait until the later stages of the window to finally get some new recruits in, this means it’ll be an anxious period for the supporters that could end up being a big factor in how the remainder of their season goes.

In other news: “As things stand”: Journalist drops SWFC transfer update that’ll have fans sweating – opinion