The Scottish Sun

FORMER Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has been targeted by a Saudi Arabian side, according to reports.

The Australian manager was sacked by Spurs last week despite winning Spurs' first piece of silverware in 17 years after their Europa League victory over Manchester United.

Thomas Frank swiftly replaced Postecoglou at Tottenham as the ex-Brentford boss looks to hijack Man Utd's deal for Bryan Mbuemo.

The ex-Celtic treble winning boss has reportedly been looked at by clubs in England and in Europe after his sacking.

Now the Telegraph report Saudi side Al-Ahli want to bring the Aussie in if their manager decides to move on - although former Barcelona icon Xavi is also on the Saudi side's shortlist.

The Riyadh side, who have stars such as Ivan Toney, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino on their books, would offer Postecoglou big money to join.

Their current boss, Matthias Jaissle, has been attracting interest of his own with the 37-year-old coach being looked at by clubs in Europe, including RB Leipzig.

The German was also linked to the West Ham job before the London club appointed ex-Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter.

Postecoglou is accustomed to Asian football already with his experiences in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.

He also won the Asian Cup in his spell as the Australia manager, whilst also guiding them to World Cup qualification in 2014.

The Aussie bid an emotional farewell to Spurs fans after it was announced he'd been shown the door.

He said: "When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride.

"The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime.

"Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.

"That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream.

"There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.

"We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 7 more years for their next success.

"I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.

"I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters.

"I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on.

"It's important to acknowledge the hard working people at Spurs who gave me encouragement on a daily basis.

"And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years.

"A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special.

"We are forever connected. Audere est Facere."

ANGE Postecoglou remains an available man since his departure from Tottenham Hotspur last week.

The former Celtic manager was sacked by Spurs after finishing 17th in the Premier League, despite winning the Europa League to claim the club's first major trophy in 17 years.

The London side are looking likely to appoint Brentford boss Thomas Frank to replace the Australian, but what's next for him?

AceOdds have unveiled their odds on where the 59-year-old might find himself next, with a few surprising shouts.

Pressure is growing on Steve Clarke after a dismal Hampden performance against Iceland, with only an injury hampered friendly against Liechtenstein tonight to make up for it.

And the probability of Postecoglou landing the Scotland job sits at 6/1.

Only two dugout roles are rated more likely for him, the first being a Socceroos return at 5/1.

He won the AFC Asian Cup with his home country and managed at the 2014 World Cup, but resigned before Russia 2018.

The favourite however is a 3/1 shout for Ange to takeover the Greek giants AEK Athens.

The 13-time league winners finished fourth this season as Olympiacos ran away with it.

A Celtic return isn't rated too unlikely at 10/1, despite Brendan Rodgers showing no signs of leaving after a comfortable League and League Cup double.

However, the Northern Irishman has come under scrutiny from supporters for losing key matches including Old Firm derbies and the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen to sink the treble.

The Aussie was a favourite at Parkhead between 2021 and 2023, with his five major titles earning him the huge EPL move.

In a bizarre call, Glasgow rivals Rangers are on the list of potential options at 33/1.

Ibrox bosses just last week appointed former Southampton gaffer Russell Martin on a three-year contract.

Another unlikely side listed amongst possibilities for Postecoglou is the England national team.

The Three Lions have only played a handful of matches under relatively new head coach Thomas Tuchel who took over from Gareth Southgate at the start of the year.

Several other clubs down south are named as options as well as the potential of joining 'any Saudi Pro League club'.

JOSE MOURINHO is ready to test Celtic's resolve with a sizeable Fenerbahce bid for Hoops player of the year Daizen Maeda, it's being claimed out in Turkey.

The little Japan star bagged a whopping 33 goals this season and ended with a haul of individual awards.

And that's led to no shortage of interest in the 27-year-old, particularly from managers who know exactly how effective can be.

Two men with a keen eye on Scottish football are Jose Mourinho and Ange Postecoglou, even if rumours about the Aussie's future at Spurs refuse to go away.

And now Turkish outlet Sokcu are claiming that Fenerbahce are "very determined" to complete the transfer of Maeda, who has been excused international duty with Japan as he spends time with a new child back home.

But they also claim Celtic are demanding at least £25m for the player - and say that an interest from Tottenham has made their job "a little more difficult".

Only earlier this week, Maeda had given Hoops bosses a boost about staying for next season - but things can change quickly in football.

He said: "I was in great form this season, both personally and so were the team.

"So I'd like to keep it going next season.

"I am who I am because of my team, Celtic.

"I'd like to thank my teammates and, above all, my family for supporting me so far.

"I'd be happy if I could score more goals next season. I hope the number of goals will continue to increase."

HE won seven trophies in Glasgow and played a crucial role in the famous win over Barcelona in 2012.

But that heroic performance for Celtic at Parkhead was eclipsed this season as he topped off his latest stint in football with his first European winner's medal.

Fraser Forster is now unemployed at the age of 37 after being released by Tottenham Hotspur - less than two weeks after lifting the Europa League trophy in Spain.

The former Celtic goalkeeper, who enjoyed two spells in Scotland, now has a decision to make on his future in the game after ending his time with Ange Postecoglou's side.

Forster made 34 appearances for Spurs in three years after being brought to the club in 2022 as backup keeper.

He played 20 times in his first campaign with the club but was handed just one appearance in his second - and his first under Postecoglou.

But this season he was brought back into the fold once again after injuries to Guglielmo Vicario left him out of the side.

Forster was between the sticks in four Europa League ties and nine domestic fixtures.

He even faced his old rivals Rangers at Ibrox in December but failed to keep a clean sheet after Hamza Igamane hit the back of the net to make it 1-0.

But Forster had plenty of clean sheets against the Light Blues earlier in his career, having kept them out as many as seven times for Celtic.

The towering Englishman is considered by many to be the Hoops' greatest goalie in recent decades.

His first spell in Scotland was over a period of four years in which he had back-to-back loan stints before joining on a permanent deal from Newcastle for £2m.

He left for Southampton in 2014 for £10m and returned north of the border on another loan in 2019.

During that first spell he earned the nickname La Gran Muralla (The Great Wall) thanks to his heroics in the aforementioned European upset over the Catalan giants.

The Hoops narrowly lost at the Nou Camp but at Celtic Park he was the star of the show, repelling the Spanish armada wave after wave of attack.

His exploits at one end allowed for Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt to write themselves into the history books at the other end, as Celtic recorded a famous 2-1 win over Lionel Messi and Co.

The Argentine superstar would later go on to say of Forster that night: "There was one game in Scotland when he was not human, it was the best goalkeeping performance I have seen."

And after the game, Forster made sure it was he who ended up with Messi's shirt.

Forster won four league titles, two Scottish Cups and one League Cup during his time in Scotland.

He was voted Celtic's Players' Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons - in 2013 and 2014.

ANGE POSTECOGLOU promised Spurs fans he would deliver them a trophy after arriving from Celtic.

He is now on the cusp of doing just that - but it hasn't stopped him losing patience in his press conferences.

The Tottenham boss has guided the Lilywhites to the Europa League final, in which they will play Premier League rivals Manchester United.

And despite their European run, their poor form in the Prem has put Postecoglou in a position where he could lose his job.

Spurs are currently 16th in the league and could finish 17th (one spot above relegation) if West Ham earn more points over the course of the final three games.

Spurs beat Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in Norway last night - the same outit his Celtic side lost to in 2022 - to earn a 5-1 win on aggregate and book their place in the final.

The all-England affair is now being billed as something of a winners-takes-all for the two coaches involved - whoever lifts the trophy will keep their job.

Postecoglou was quizzed by the media after his team clinched their final berth and took several questions on how this tie could factor into both his and Ruben Amorim's future in their respective dugouts.

He even quipped that neither of them would be allowed to hold the trophy because they are "not worthy" of it due to their subpar domestic form.

And he certainly didn't take kindly to questions comparing their seasons.

Postecoglou said: "It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it?

"The debate's now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy.

"I mean, who cares if we're struggling in the league? It's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form.

"I couldn't care less who's struggling and who's not. I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there."

But things ramped up a notch when it was pointed out that over at Old Trafford, there is a belief that winning the Europa League wouldn't make up for an otherwise dreadful season.

Postecoglou was furious and interrupted the reporter before he could finish his question, and said: "I don't care. Why would I care what Man United think?

"Why is that relevant to me? Ask the Manchester United manager why he says that. I've said all along that this is important."

Postecoglou then explained that Spurs and United cannot be compared, given the disparity in the two clubs' trophy cabinet,

He said that United, over the last 20 years, have regularly won trophies (even if of late they have dried up) while Spurs have little to boast about save for a League Cup win in the 2007-08 season and a Champions League finals appearance in 2019.

Postecoglou blasted: "What's happening now is people are fearing that it actually might happen, and let's see how we can tear it down somehow and diminish it somehow by saying it's been a poor season and we don't deserve this or we don't deserve that, or somehow comparing us to Man United.

"Maybe if we had Man United's success then maybe I'd have a different view. So, of course it's massive.

"You have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through.

"We've given them some real hope and something to dream about that we can do something special this year."

ALLY McCOIST has branded the situation at one of English football's top clubs 'laughable.'

And the Rangers and Scotland legend reckons they're creating a perception of 'profit rather than product.'

It's been a dismal season for Tottenham Hotspur.

The North London giants are sitting 14th in the Premier League table and are out of contention for domestic silverware.

Spurs are, however, still in the Europa League with the continental competition presenting their only hope of ending a long wait for a trophy.

Ex-Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou finds himself under plenty of pressure as manager, while plenty of fingers have been pointed at long-serving chairman Daniel Levy.

Many Spurs fans have vented their frustration at the club's transfer business and want to see more money invested into the playing squad.

This week, however, Levy hit back.

The businessman, who's been at the Spurs helm since 2001, warned fans that transfer activity would have to be done in a "sustainable" manner.

His comments came after Tottenham's annual earnings saw a drop in revenue.

Defending his record in the transfer market, Levy said: "Since opening our new stadium in April 2019, we have invested over £700million net in player acquisitions.

"Recruitment remains a key focus, and we must ensure that we make smart purchases within our financial means.

"A closer examination of today’s financial figures reveals that such spending must be sustainable in the long term and within our operating revenues.

"Our capacity to generate recurring revenues determines our spending power. We cannot spend what we do not have, and we will not compromise the financial stability of this club."

The situation at Spurs was discussed at length on talkSPORT Breakfast, where Gers legend McCoist was joined by regular co-host Jeff Stelling.

McCoist admitted he could see Levy's point from a business sense.

However, looking from a fans' point of view, he branded it LAUGHABLE and put that down to the supporters' key desire - to win a trophy.

He also pointed to the fact that this season's FA Cup has been so open - with Spurs nowhere to be seen after being eliminated in the fourth round.

After reading Levy's words, Stelling said: "That's not what Spurs fans want to be hearing, is it?"

McCoist replied: "Something's got to give somewhere. I mean, you've got to run a tight ship in an organised business and that's exactly what's happening.

"However, it's quite simple. Spurs fans want to win something!

"Do you know what I mean? They've got to win something.

"I mean, it's actually becoming laughable at this moment in time.

"They've now fallen behind - you think about it, this has been one of the FA Cups, right, in a long, long time. Wide open and Spurs aren't even in it."

McCoist continued and stated why he believes the club is putting too much emphasis on 'profit rather than product.'

And he reckons that'll be the Spurs fans' central complaint.

He added: "I think where a lot of the Spurs fans, yes, we want to run like a business, yes we want it to be a profitable business.

"But the amount of profit shouldn't deter from what we're getting on the pitch.

"The club has to be run prudently and successfully, which it will be under Levy, there's no doubt about that.

"But I think the Spurs fans' complaints would be there's too much emphasis on profit rather than product."

AN unlikely figure has been spotted rubbing shoulders with the Tartan Army fans in Athens .. former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou.

In an image shared by Tartan Army stalwart John Nicol, the Spurs gaffer was all smiles ahead of Thursday night's crunch Nations League play-off clash against Steve Clarke's men as he enjoyed a break with his family.

With Callum McGregor having made the decision to retire from international duty after the Euros, the only Celtic star in Clarke's squad who Postecoglou has worked with is Tony Ralston.

But he retains a good relationship with SFA bosses, having generously given his time to Pro Licence candidates in London recently.

Postecoglou is currently under major pressure at the Tottenham, where Spurs languish in 14th spot.

He was confronted by one of his own fans after last week's defeat at Fulham but is making good use of his international down time to recharge the batteries is essential with Spurs currently languishing in 14th spot in the English Premier League.

Spurs aren't back in action until April 3 against Chelsea - although the Aussie also has the chance to ease those second season blues by lifting the Europa League trophy.

He was born in the outskirts of Greece, before migrating to Melbourne with his family at the age of 5.

A popular figure during his time in Scotland, Postecoglou was greeted warmly by the Tartan Army and has been speaking warmly of the passion of the Scotland fans.

He's previously spoken of the upheaval of leaving Greece for Australia at such a tender age.

He said: "I was five years old when we got on a boat for a month and headed over to Australia.

"I don’t have great recollections of it. At the time, there was a bit of upheaval in Greece and, unfortunately, we got caught up with that.

"My father made the decision that we needed to move abroad.

"You are talking about going half way around the world to a place where you literally don't know a soul, you don't know the language, you have no guarantee of any housing, any employment.

"All they have really given you is a ticket."

THE January transfer window looks like it'll shake things up a little at Celtic on the park.

And now according to a report, the Hoops have surprisingly drafted in a former English Premier League manager to help unearth new players - at the grand age of EIGHTY.

SunSport were first to reveal that Kieran Tierney could seal a stunning return to Celtic this month.

The Hoops are also eyeing a move for £8.5million-rated Spanish winger Raul Moro, while there are question marks over Kyogo's future.

Now as the Celts attempt to unearth new talent, they've turned to a veteran of the English game.

The Daily Mail are reporting that Celtic have appointed David Pleat to a scouting role at the club.

The development comes just a day after Pleat celebrated turning EIGHTY.

A Tottenham Hotspur icon, Pleat performed a number of roles at the club before leaving at the end of last season.

Having managed Nuneaton and Luton, Pleat became Spurs boss in 1986 but departed the following year.

He went on to manage Leicester, Luton again and Sheffield Wednesday before going back to White Hart Lane.

Pleat became Spurs' first director of football in 1998 and once again became manager in 2003 after Glenn Hoddle's sacking on an interim basis.

He saw out the 2003/04 campaign in charge.

Pleat then undertook advisory roles at various clubs before returning to Tottenham again in 2010 in a scouting role, a position he held until last year.

Known for his ability to spot young talent, Pleat plucked several players from obscurity who would go on to become key first team players at the North London club.

He was also boss when Spurs made some big signings, including Jermain Defoe.

In more recent years, Pleat was credited with playing a key role in Spurs signing top stars such as Dele Alli and Jan Vertonghen.

He was also well known as a commentator, working for the BBC and ITV at several World Cups and European Championships.

But now, it appears he's back in football at Celtic.

The report claims that Pleat has been offered the scouting role by the head of recruitment Paul Tisdale.

It's said to be a 12-month deal and will see Pleat watching games and keeping an eye on players in England for the Hoops.

WHEN Ange Postecoglou left Celtic for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023, many believed he would take a few of his former Hoops charges with him.

So far that hasn't happened - though he did lure ex-Celtic coach Chris Davies to London with him.

However that could change next month when the January transfer window opens, with reports suggesting the Spurs boss is considering a move for the Hoops' man of the moment at present.

Nicolas Kuhn has been in fine form for Brendan Rodgers' side this season with 25 goal contributions from 25 appearances.

The winger's return of 11 assists across all competitions would be impressive alone but when you add in his 14 goals, it's no surprise up to FIVE Premier League teams are sniffing around him.

Indeed, even La Liga giants Barcelona were linked with him.

It was reported back in November that Brentford were interested in the 24-year-old but now, according to TBR Football, Tottenham have joined the race for his services.

They claim Aston Villa, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Newcastle are also tracking the German, with some of them having been scouting him since the summer.

Kuhn joined Celtic from Rapid Vienna last January for £3m but he endured an indifferent start to life in Scottish football.

He had previously been on the books at Ajax and Bayern Munich, though primarily played for their reserve teams.

Kuhn featured at every youth level for Germany from under-15 through to under-20.

He has now been touted for a call-up to the full senior squad, particularly in the wake of his man of the match display against Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in the Champions League last month.

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann was even quoted as saying: "Kuhn is also a good player with a lot of desire. He’s someone we’re keeping an eye on."

Meanwhile, Celtic could let two other players walk in January.

Odin Holm is poised to move to MLS and Greg Taylor has emerged as a target for Dinamo Zagreb.

Taylor is understood to be viewed by Dinamo boss Fabio Cannavaro as a player they would welcome on a free in the summer when his contract expires.

But the clubs could end up agreeing a deal that would see the Scotland left-back move this window - depending on what happens with Alex Valle and Kieran Tierney.

RANGERS made it eight games unbeaten with a 3-0 win at Ross County on Sunday.

But manager Philippe Clement was quick to temper expectations for the coming week which will see Rangers take on Tottenham and Celtic.

The Gers boss claimed his side will need to approach the matches differently due to the financial disparity between the Ibrox club and their two opponents.

He said: "They are totally different kind of games, maybe we need to say financially out of our league, the two games.

"We're going to compete and it's a really nice challenge for our squad to show themselves in these games and what we can do against those teams."

The Belgian was bashed by former Scotland international James McFadden for the defeatist nature of his comments.

And now former Rangers star Andy Halliday has joined the criticism coming Clement's way.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Motherwell ace Halliday explained his issue with the message that Clement's attitude was sending to his players.

Halliday said: "I don't go along with it, especially when, five days previously at the AGM, you're talking about building this winning mentality and you're expecting to win trophies and win every single week.

"Then in the post-match against Ross County you're talking about a financial gulf.

"One thing I've learned is, if you give footballers any excuse, believe me they'll take it.

"I think you've already planted a little seed of doubt, 'we're coming up against teams on Thursday and Sunday that have got a lot more money than us', so it wasn't a comment that I particularly liked."

Host Gordon Duncan speculated that supporters could be angered by the Belgian grouping Celtic alongside Tottenham in terms of the financial distance between them and Rangers.

He said: "Is the bit that's sticking in some throats that, even though you're being accurate in saying Celtic have more money, they aren't in a different stratosphere?

"We're not talking English Premier League vs Rangers or Rangers vs Ross County, we're talking about a team that's just financially in better health."

Halliday replied: "Well, the different stratospheres that you're talking about is against Hearts who Rangers have drawn 0-0 with and Aberdeen who Rangers lost to.

"Managers will sometimes come out with this when it suits them, but when you come up against Celtic at the weekend, I don't think they're worlds apart."