Latest news with #Thessaloniki-based
The National
02-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Greg Taylor explains why he left Celtic to join PAOK
The left-back's free transfer to the Thessaloniki-based club was confirmed on Tuesday, as his six-year stay at Parkhead came to an end. Speaking to PAOK's official media channel, Taylor explained the reasons behind his decision not to renew his Celtic deal and move to Greece: "It's obviously a new chapter for me and my family, but I'm very excited to be here now," he said. "The love I was shown from the club, many of the directors, the manager, they showed that they believed in me and were very excited for me to come to the project with such a historical season, the 100 years of the club. Read more: "It made me really want to take the jump to be here. We want to be the best team in Greece, we want to win the league and hopefully be successful in Europe. That would be our aim for this season." PAOK lost out on the Greek title to Olympiacos last season after winning it on the final day of the 2023/24 campaign. Taylor said: "Straight away, you can understand that the fans are so patient. It was explained what happened on the last day of the season of 2024, so I can't wait to play in front of them and see their passion in the stands." In moving to PAOK, the left-back will link up with his old Celtic teammate Jonjoe Kenny. The Englishman spent the second half of the ill-fated 2020/21 campaign on loan at Parkhead: "Obviously, Jonjoe signed this season," said Taylor. "We played together at Celtic previously, so it's nice to have a familiar face in the changing room. But I'm also looking forward to meeting the rest of the guys in the team."
The National
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Former Celtic stars react to Greg Taylor's emotional farewell message
The left-back's free transfer from the Scottish Premiership champions to Greek side PAOK was confirmed on Tuesday. Taylor has penned a three-year deal with the Thessaloniki-based club after more than half a decade in Glasgow's east end. The 27-year-old posted a farewell video on his Instagram after his move was announced, to which several current and ex-Celts reacted. 'Good luck wee man, smash it', wrote Shane Duffy. Read more: Scott Sinclair said 'All the best, geez' as David Turnbull quipped 'Amazing, good luck ma boy'. Jonny Hayes, who played with Taylor for a year at Parkhead, said, 'Brilliant pal! All the best with the next chapter'. Taking to his own Instagram story, Juranovic said, 'Brother, good luck in Greece', while Hart wrote 'Smashed it mate, go do it again'. Taylor himself penned an emotional farewell message: "Six years, 200 appearances, and 11 trophies later, all good things come to an end," he said. "A chapter of my life that I will never forget. My experiences on the pitch have gone beyond anything I could have imagined. Just as importantly, off the pitch I've grown as a person; becoming a husband, and most importantly, a father. Walking out with my daughter in front of 60,000 fans was the ultimate highlight. It's something I'll remember forever "Celtic truly is one of a kind. Every time I pulled on the shirt, I gave it everything. What an honour it has been to wear the hoops, I have loved every minute and have never taken it for granted. "A heartfelt thank you to every manager who trusted me and to everyone behind the scenes, these are the people who make Celtic. "I've had the privilege of sharing the dressing room with some incredible teammates. Not just great players, but great people. Many go through their entire careers without the chance to lift a trophy. To have won so much together with this group is truly special,a feeling no words can describe. "Lastly, thank you to all the fans who supported me along the way. It never went unnoticed. "I feel so fortunate to have been a Celtic player, and now I can watch on from afar as a Celtic fan. Thank you."
Scotsman
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scottish transfer news: Rangers £10m link, Celtic deadline, Hearts eye 25/yo, Hibs deal close
The latest transfer news involving Rangers, Celtic, Hearts and Hibs Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... We take a look at some of main transfer news stories across Scottish football over the weekend ... Rangers linked with fresh duo Rangers are expected to be busy in the transfer window over the next couple of weeks - and two new names have been linked with the club. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Southampton playmaker Flynn Downes and Nottingham Forest left-back Harry Toffolo are reportedly transfer targets for Rangers head coach Russell Martin. Downes, 26, played under Martin at the Saints, while Toffolo, 29, is poised to leave Forest this summer as he is not a first-team regular. Flynn Downes has emerged as a transfer target for Rangers. | Getty Images It is reported that Downes, however, could cost Rangers in the region of £10m. The Ibrox side are set to receive a cash injection in the region of £20m from their new owners, yet spending a fee of such size on one player may be beyond their resources. Rangers have been linked with Leicester City defender Conor Coady and Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman over the past few days as well. PAOK deadline for Taylor Free agent Greg Taylor has until the end of the month to inform Greek Super League side PAOK whether he wants to take up their offer of a contract for next season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad According to Greek media, Taylor is wanted by the Thessaloniki-based club, but with their European adventure starting next month, they want a squad in place quickly. Taylor, 27, is currently on holiday assessing his options. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to keep him, but the arrival of Kieran Tierney may push him down the pecking order at Parkhead. Greg Taylor's future remains up in the air. | Getty Images Hearts linked with striker Hearts are reportedly keen on FC Aalesund striker Claudio Braga, who has scored five goals in ten matches for the Norwegian second-tier outfit. The Portuguese hitman can also operate in the wide areas and was signed by Aalesund from Moss last season. The 25-year-old has another year on his contract and could cost in the region of £400,000. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts head coach Derek McInnes is keen to strengthen his forward areas and the club remains in talks with Lawrence Shankland. The No 9's Tynecastle deal expired last month. Xavier Simons is currently at Hull City. | Getty Images Hibs' Simons chase Hibs are edging closer to a deal for Hull City midfielder Xavier Simons after reports on Humberside claimed the Tigers had given permission for talks between the player and the Easter Road side. Simons, 22, is permitted to leave Hull, as the English Championship side are reducing their wage budget for next season. The former Chelsea youngster has one year left on his contract and would command a low six-figure fee.
Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Europa League club joins race for Greg Taylor as Celtic free transfer exit looks inevitable
Scouts watched him in Europe this season END OF THE TAYL Europa League club joins race for Greg Taylor as Celtic free transfer exit looks inevitable GREEK side PAOK are lining up a move for Celtic star Greg Taylor. The 27-year-old defender is available for nothing this summer after failing to agree a new deal with the Hoops. 1 Greg Taylor looks to have played his last game for Celtic Credit: Kenny Ramsay Celtic gaffer Brendan Rodgers has wanted the Scotland international to remain in Glasgow, but it increasingly looks like last weekend's Scottish Cup final was his final appearance. Taylor, who cost £3 million from Kilmarnock in 2019, has been targeted by Thessaloniki-based PAOK, who are on the hunt for a left-back for next season. Boss Razvan Lucescu has watched Taylor compete for Celtic in the Champions League so believes he would be ideal for his side's tilt at Europe next season. PAOK finished third in the Greek Super League last season, qualifying them for a crack at the Europa League. Taylor's failure to agree a new Hoops contract by this stage suggests he's moving on, and PAOK have now joined the chase to land him on a free in the next few weeks. With the uncertainty over his future, Celtic have been scouring Europe for an alternative left-back, with Djurgardens' Japanese kid Keita Kosugi under consideration. The 19-year-old helped the Swedes to the semi-finals of the Conference League last season so has grabbed the attention of clubs across the continent. Kieran Tierney will join ahead of the new season after signing off from Arsenal with a rare goal. The Tartan Army hero scored on the final day of the Premier League season for the Gunners in a 2-1 win over already-relegated Southampton. Meanwhile, reports elsewhere suggest that Celtic have had a bid knocked back for one of their top summer transfer targets. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has STRONGER transfer case after final defeat We told you earlier this month how Celtic had shown interest in Red Star Belgrade wonderkid Veljko Milosavljevic. The defender is just 17 but has already gained valuable first team experience and caught the eyes of several European clubs, including the Premiership champions. Serbian outlet Meridian Sport claim that an initial offer from the Parkhead club has been kicked out, with Red Star standing firm on their demands of a €10million (£8.4million) price tag. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
