ALEKSANDAR TONEV'S agent last night confirmed Werder Bremen were showing serious interest in ending the Bulgarian international's troubled spell at Celtic.

The on-loan Aston Villa winger's appeal against his seven-game SFA ban for a racial slur on Aberdeen defender Shay Logan was thrown out last week.

Celtic have stated they won't take the matter any further and Tonev is back home with his family while he sits out the ban.

However, Bundesliga strugglers Werder Bremen have shown interest in signing Tonev from Villa, which would cut short his loan spell at Parkhead.

And his agent confirmed Tonev could leave Scottish football next month. Nikolay Zheynov said: "Werder have again shown interest in him, but at this stage we don't yet know whether the transfer will go through.

"Before he signed for Villa, I went to Germany with Aleksandar and told him to sign for Werder.

"He chose Aston Villa and I told him that was a mistake. He didn't listen to me and I was proved right.

"Now Werder want him again and I hope he makes the right decision this time.

"It depends on how keen Villa are to sell him and whether he wants to go to Germany."

And the representative insisted Tonev is no racist.

He said: "I'm known him for years and I cannot believe that he was guilty of racism.

"Unfortunately, you have to respect the punishment.

Bremen tried to sign the international two years ago when he was at Lech Poznan, but he chose to go to England with Villa instead.

Now they are involved in a Bundesliga relegation battle and are desperate for winter reinforcements.

Meanwhile, Celtic's winter break schedule in Gran Canaria has been confirmed by Spanish organisers.

The Hoops postponed a game against St Johnstone on January 5 so they can head for Spain and play in the 30th edition of the Maspalomas Cup.

Celtic will face PSV Eindhoven in the opening game of the tournament on Saturday, January 10, in a match which organisers say will be shown live in the UK.

Ronny Deila's men will then face Sparta Prague on the 13th, with the Czechs a late replacement for Ukrainians Shakhtar Donetsk.

The matches will take place at the Municipal Stadium in San Fernando.