NEWCASTLE have stepped up their interest in Kristoffer Ajer with a spying mission to Glasgow.

SunSport can reveal Toon scouts were at Ibrox to run the rule over the 23-year-old Celtic centre-half.

They witnessed Ajer and his hapless Hoops team-mates crash to a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Rangers.

But it’s understood Magpies boss Steve Bruce is still ready to push the button on a deal to bring the Norwegian international to St James’ Park.

Norwich are also eyeing a move for a player Celtic rate at £8milllion.

Ajer is in the final year of his contract and looks destined to quit the club he joined in 2016.

He came under fire for his part in Gers’ second with former Ibrox star Kris Boyd accusing him of “ducking out the road”.

Boyd said: “It is a fantastic strike, Celtic fail to stop the cross to start with, they then clear it but don’t move.

“Alfredo Morelos finds himself one on one with Scott Brown, gets the break of the ball, but what a fantastic strike.

“When you look at it again when he cuts inside — Kristoffer Ajer, why is he ducking out the road?”

CORRECT CALL Celtic can have no complaints over McGregor sending-off, says Stewart

Meanwhile, Stiliyan Petrov has warned that Callum McGregor may decide to quit Celtic this summer if offers come in for him.

The former Hoops star said: "Callum’s a player I admire a lot, the way he plays, his awareness, his football brain.

“I could compare it with my own situation.

“Sometimes it’s not about the club. People talk about the club and I loved the club, I still love it.

“But when you start looking at the players who leave the club, the players they bring in, I had to really sit down and consider what I wanted to do next.

“I moved from a very successful team.

“Then I saw a change, then another change – and I realised it was time for me to step up and challenge myself somewhere else because I didn’t see the same quality as I’d known before.

“Maybe it’s time where the question has to be asked, what kind of quality players are Celtic going to bring to keep Callum McGregor?"

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