24th July 2006

DION DUBLIN TO RETURN TO CELTIC???????????????

GORDON STRACHAN last night admitted he might be forced to go back to Dion Dublin to solve Celtic's striker crisis.

The goal in yesterday's 1-0 win over Everton came from Aiden McGeady, which means Celtic have scored only twice in nine hours of pre-season friendlies and neither strike has come from a forward.

Boss Strachan lost Chris Sutton at the start of last season and was then forced to sell John Hartson to West Brom last month.

Now he could be forced to retrace his steps and bring back 37-year-old Dublin, the player whose contract Celtic bought out from Leicester City last season.

Dublin won a CIS Cup medal after scoring in the final against Dunfermline and helped Strachan secure the SPL championship before apparently retiring from the game.

Now he could be sent for in an emergency to renew his links with the club.

Strachan said: "It's not impossible I could go back for him. We keep in touch and our players feel safer when they see that kind of physical presence beside them.

"I need to concentrate on the finishing area and something could happen because there's a lot on the shoulders of players like Kenny Miller and Maciej Zurawski.

"We need a physical presence who can bring us a variation to our game that we haven't got at the moment. Now the search has to be even more intensive."

But Strachan has denied that his visit to see Norwich's Darren Huckerby at Falkirk on Saturday was part of his search.

He said: "Darren's more like a mate. I called him and said I was going to the game to see how often he ran offside."

Strachan also denied there had been fresh interest in Stilian Petrov and repeated his claim that the player would be staying despite submitting two transfer requests.

What he couldn't deny was the continuing problem with no money to spend and there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice when he said: "They like their Bosman deals here."

Everton boss Davie Moyes admitted he wouldn't add to Strachan's problems by going after Petrov.

He said: "We've spent all of our money, even if I did think Petrov made Celtic play. I can see why Celtic are keen to hold on to him."

Moyes also confirmed he'd had no inquiry from Celtic about full-back Gary Naysmith.

13th July 2006

BHOYS JOIN CHASE FOR TRISTAN?????

Deportivo La Coruna striker Diego Tristan looks set to leave the club after they received three "serious offers" for the player.

The Spanish club's president, Augusto Cesar Lendoiro, has revealed Scottish champions Celtic are battling with Benfica and Sporting Lisbon to sign the 30-year-old Spain international.

And Lendoiro expects Tristan and La Coruna team-mate Lionel Scaloni to be plying their trade elsewhere next season.

"We have three serious offers for Diego Tristan," Lendoiro told the club's official website, www.canaldeportivo.com.

"Two from Portugal, Benfica and Sporting Club (Sporting Lisbon) and one from Celtic. In the next few days we will take a decision."