Celtic Targeting Mackay-Steven

Photo by Jeff Holmes Ronny Deila has revealed that Celtic are trying to sign Gary Mackay-Steven from Dundee United on a pre-contract agreement. The 24-year-old winger's current deal at Tannadice ends in the summer. The Hoops boss refused to confirm that United are looking for £250,000 for the player to move to Parkhead in the current transfer window. However, Deila, who returned with his squad from the winter training break in Gran Canaria on Wednesday, said: "He is a player we have been looking at for a long time. "We hope to sign a contract with him into the summer. "If we can do something now we will do it but everything has its price. "We haven't talked with him but we have talked to his agent and what we understand is that he is interested in coming to Celtic. "We have an opportunity to get him under contract from the summer and we will do what we can to arrange it and hopefully it will be arranged in a few days."

While discussing possible new additions to his squad, Deila was also at pains to stress once more that he does not want anyone to leave in the transfer window. Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon, now manager of Bolton, has admitted his interest in attacking midfielder Kris Commons, whose contract is up at the end of the season, while defender Virgil van Dijk has been linked with a move to England, with Arsenal among the Dutchman's reported suitors. The reported sticking point in a new deal for Commons is the length of contract - the player wants two years - but Deila insists that is negotiable. "Yes, there is chance for that," he said. "But you have demands from the club and demands from the player and you have to meet each other with a good deal for both." The Norwegian claims he is not worried by Lennon's interest in a player who has not always been first choice for Celtic this season but who reminded everyone of his talents with a fine performance in the 2-0 win at Kilmarnock in the Hoops' last outing. "Nothing worries me," said Deila. "To be at Celtic is fantastic. "The players who are here have to want to be here and Kris wants to be here. "Kris showed in the game last week against Kilmarnock that he can be in a Celtic team that I coach. "He has been in the team so many times this year. "If he plays the way he did last week he is going to been an important players for us. "He will stay here until the end of the season. Virgil van Dijk is also staying. We want to strengthen the squad. "I have said that all the time, we want to keep all our best players. "To get someone out of Celtic now is going to be very hard." Celtic returned from their break four points behind league leaders Aberdeen albeit the champions have two games in hand. The Hoops travel to Hamilton on Saturday to face a side which beat them for the first time in 76 years at Parkhead in October. The 1-0 win for the visitors still rankles with the former Stromsgodset boss, who revealed that winger Derk Boerrigter trained today for the first time since recovering from a knee operation in October. "We lost against Hamilton the last time so we have to bounce back," he said. "That cut is deep in my heart and I don't want to experience that again. "We are hungry to play, we are determined and I am really looking forward to it. "We have something to prove in every game. "We have to keep on going and we will see how good Aberdeen and all the other teams are."