By Danny Wright

6th Apr, 2018 | 11:57am

Betting latest: Celtic in running to sign Joey Barton

Celtic have shockingly been named in the running to sign former Rangers midfielder Joey Barton, according to the latest bookmakers’ odds.

BetVictor have priced the Hoops at 20/1 outsiders to sign Barton, 35, before the summer transfer window closes as he nears the end of a 13-month ban for betting.

Derby (8/1) have been named as the favourites to sign the one-time England international, who was released by Rangers just several months into a two-year deal at Ibrox in 2016 after a training ground bust-up.

Aston Villa, Cardiff City, QPR, Fleetwood Town and Notts County (all 10/1) are also in the running to sign Barton this summer.

To say Barton has had a controversial career would perhaps be an understatement after spells at Manchester City, Newcastle United, QPR, Marseille and most recently Rangers and Burnley.

Football Insider verdict

There is absolutely no way that this will happen and it may be that someone is simply having a laugh by including Barton in the running to sign for Celtic. Not only is he a former Rangers player but the ex-Man City midfielder constantly berates Scottish football, claiming that he failed at Ibrox because other players could not keep up with him. He also tried to talk up a clash with Hoops captain Scott Brown, but that really did not go well as his only taste of the Old Firm came in a 5-1 defeat to the Bhoys.

In other Celtic news, the Hoops must seal an ambitious summer swoop for this £20,000-a-week Premier League defender who could quit his club.

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