Despite Rangers’ resurgence under Steven Gerrard, Celtic conquered a historic treble ‘treble’ even after Brendan Rodgers’ sudden departure. Neil Lennon carried the legacy forward and bolstered the squad in summer to maintain their supremacy in Scottish football. The Hoops roped in a few prolific names, but at the same time, missed out on a few including Aberdeen centre-half Scott McKenna.
The Scotsman handed in a transfer request (as reported by the Herald Scotland) back in August amid interest from the Hoops, Aston Villa, QPR, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest among many. A £3.5m bid from Celtic was rejected a year ago, and a reported £6.5m offer from Villa was ignored as well. With the clubs circling like vultures for the Scotland international, the Dons slapped a £10m asking fee to fend off the potential suitors.
Although Rodgers cooled down the speculations last summer, the rumours resurfaced once again earlier this campaign. The 23-year-old centre-back recently opened up (as quoted by the Birmingham Mail) on the summer disappointment and had this to say:
“The summer was probably the worst for me. When you have been working for the full year, building up to that point that you thought was going to be the time, there was that wee bit of disappointment.”
Should Celtic Reignite Interest In Winter?
The Bhoys, right now, are well equipped in central defence following the arrival of Christopher Jullien. Kristoffer Ajer has been a revelation in the heart of the backline whereas versatile Nir Bitton is doing a commendable job whenever lined up in deep defence. Jozo Simunovic is working tirelessly to regain fitness following his knee surgery, but the growing interest in Ajer might create a void soon that needs to be filled in.
Villa leapfrogged Celtic in chase of John McGinn back in August 2018. However, the Glasgow giants must not give it up this time even though the Claret and Blue have Premier League football to offer.
What Would McKenna Bring In At Parkhead
While Jullien is still adapting to the pace, power and physicality of Premiership, McKenna has already showcased his efficiency and excellence in performing at the highest order. He is desperate to make the next career step, and a move to Celtic would undoubtedly help him attain more important goals that he won’t be able to achieve at Pittodrie in spite of making significant improvement under Derek McInnes tutelage.
