DUNDEE United are ready to lock horns with Tayside rivals St Johnstone for the signature of Danny Swanson as the transfer window hots up.
The 31-year-old is on his way out of Hibs after an off-field incident during the winter break trip to Portugal.
While he has played for both clubs, he spent much longer at Tannadice making over 100 appearances for the Tangerines with whom he won the Scottish Cup in 2010.
Also quitting Easter Road, probably for Charlton Atheltic, following his involvement in the same incident is Anthony Stokes.
The Irishman’s replacement could well be Swiss striker Florian Kamberi, 22, who Hibs boss Neil Lennon has taken in on trial and will cast his eye over in the coming days before making a decision on.
The Hibees have confirmed that former Hearts defender Faycal Rherras has joined the club from KV Mechelen on loan until the end of the season, and he is clear to face his old team today.
Aberdeen’s Kenny McLean is on the verge of a move to Norwich City.
But there will be no movement on Lazio’s £4.5m pursuit of Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic with the Roman club putting any bid on hold until the summer.
The Serie A outfit are big admirers of the 23-year-old who they have been tracking for seven months.
However, their success in persuading Barcelona and Inter Milan target Stefan de Vrij, whose current deal is up in the summer, to agree an extension has removed the urgency in getting him.
Dutch international De Vrij has now committed until 2021. Crucially, he has had a £22m release clause inserted into his new contract.
With the sum less than a third of the world-record £75m Liverpool paid Southampton for his countryman Virgil van Dijk, it would be no impediment to his moving on at the end of the season with his admirers among the richest clubs in the world.
The new arrangement is being widely interpreted as a favour from the player to Lazio, who otherwise stood to lose him for nothing.
They had stood by him through a lengthy rehabilitation on a knee injury.
Now fully fit and very much on form, De Vrij (25) is seen as a certainty to take the next step up in the summer.
It is at this point that Lazio plan to go back in for their Celtic target.
The Hoops for their part want to buy Dundee’s 22- year-old central defender Jack Hendry, but believe the £1.5m asking price is too high.
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