Celtic are off to a stuttering start in the new season as they have failed to qualify for the Champions League and now they would have to fight for a place in the Europa League. Their league form hasn’t been any better as they have already lost to Hearts. Everyone expected Brendan Rodgers to continue his dominating run in Scottish football, but so far that has not been the case. It still might be early days but, one can find some chink in the armours of his ‘double treble’ winning Celtic side.
One of the major areas of concern for the Hoops has been their defence. Belgium defender Dedryck Boyata’s future at Parkhead is uncertain, and as a result, Rodgers has used the centre back pairing of Jack Hendry and Jozo Simunovic. Both of them have looked out of sorts and with transfer window soon coming to an end, Rodgers would have to solve this defensive problem if they want to continue their domination of Scottish football. One of the players they are currently linked with is Scott McKenna of Aberdeen.
With Boyata’s future up in the air, the Hoops need a dominating centre-half, and that is what they are going to get in McKenna. The 21-year-old has already represented Scotland and even captained them once. Some Celtic fans were of the opinion that Rodgers should have gone for the defensive starlet in the January transfer window itself. However, they instead went for the much cheaper option in Jack Hendry who has struggled to establish himself as of now. It’s believed that Aberdeen are demanding £10m for their defensive ace.
Paying £10m For The Defender Might Be Worth It
Such kind of money would make any team sceptical before making a move for the centre-back but, we believe that Mckenna has all the qualities to be a strong centre-half for years to come. He is an imposing figure at the back and is firm in his duels whether it’s in the air or on the ground.
The Scotsman is matured in his decision making, and with him being just 21, he can take his game a notch up from here onwards. The Hoops are keen on signing him, and if Brendan Rodgers wants to continue his excellent run in the Scottish Premiership, he needs to go after him as their major rivals Rangers have recruited well in the market and are looking much stronger than what they have been for the last few years.
McKenna can even play as a left back, and that would be an added advantage for Rodgers as he can use his versatility. The manager needs to resurrect Celtic’s fall from grace as they have won just twice in the last five games. Mckenna can be termed as one of the best defenders in the Scottish League, and he would be a good fit in the Bhoys squad. It will be interesting to see whether they would be able to negotiate a deal for him in the last few days of the transfer period. Celtic lost out on one of their prime targets John McGinn who went on to join Aston Villa. Now if they fail to sign McKenna, it would put their season in jeopardy especially if they don’t manage to hold on to Boyata.
