So Aberdeen has allegedly kicked out a £3.5m bid from Celtic for their up and coming defender Scott McKenna.
The saga will continue. At least until the Window slams shut in 9 days time. Probably beyond.
I’d offer no more than another £500k should we go back in.
Dons Boss, Derek McInnes has put a £10m price tag on the newly-capped Scotland Centre Back’s head and it is understood they were quick to dismiss an offer of around £3.5m from the Celtic money men. Aberdeen hold the majority of the cards here.
They have a very sellable asset and know that Celtic need to find a centre back so their bargaining position appears to be strong.
It’s also rumoured that both Hull City and Swansea put in “derisory” bids too despite the player being out injured for a month with a hamstring strain. I’d take this with a pinch of salt, perhaps a ploy to up his value.
Aberdeen to their credit were cute enough to sign the 21-Year old on a 5 year deal like Celtic did with Tom Rogic. They’re simply protecting their assets.
His value has soared since McLeish took him into the fold of the National side where he’s made four appearances and after just 35 senior appearances for the Pittodrie side, that’s impressive.
However, McKenna has very little experience in Europe and at International Level and has yet to lift a trophy with his club. Celtic should go no more than £4m based on his experience. To value him at £10m is plain crazy. He is not a £10m player – what are Aberdeen and McInnes basing this value on? Tell you what, I wouldn’t want to buy a house off him.
John McGinn has played nearly 200 career games and he’s just 2 years older than McKenna and has more than double the International Caps and has transferred to Villa for under £3m.
Could McKenna become a ten million player? Possibly under the right stewardship. Aberdeen won’t give him that platform. Rodgers and Celtic has the knack for developing players and selling them on for good money – so Aberdeen are more than likely to benefit from any future sale or indeed performance bonus clauses should McKenna make it to a higher level or continue to be picked for Scotland.
In Celtic’s favour, the player has not stepped out of Scotland and this would be an internal transfer. He’s not going to England or abroad. Fans may value players at that price but the market would dictate otherwise, sentimentality and faith from fans doesn’t add pounds to a player’s value.
People might point at young Kieran Tierney who Celtic would be looking at least £20m in fees – a figure that fans outside of Celtic often mock.
Tierney’s earned that badge having won seven trophies including 3 League Titles in his short tenure at Celtic – McKenna has yet to earn his stripes like his Scotland team-mate. Tierney should he move would do so to England or abroad and is now deemed an experienced left back and is highly-rated down south. Tierney it has to be said is a unique situation.
Would many fans, pundits, commentators know of McKenna?
Similar to this, some fans will value Morelos higher than Dembele which would be a matter of opinion among themselves and frankly I rate both of them highly but again Dembele has proven himself at higher levels i.e. Champions League and I’d put money on that he’d fetch a higher fee.
Although Scottish football appears to be on the up, the transfer market outwith our nation still doesn’t rate players as highly as we as fans do. Of course you want the most money for your best players should they be going but there has to be a degree of reality. You tell me an English or European side who’d pay ten million to Aberdeen for Scott McKenna? I’m struggling here.
If I were negotiating, I’d draw the line at £4m with sell-on clauses. What I wouldn’t do is go any higher nor would I offer any Celtic players on loan. Maybe, just maybe the player would like to move to Celtic to further his career too. Can the Dons afford to knock back such a tidy sum especially with any future sell-ons?
If clubs within our boundaries are going to try and hold Celtic to unrealistic valuations then short and simple is we don’t lend them any players from here on in. We should start playing hard-ball back and show some spine. Aberdeen has benefitted from these services of late, notably Christie and we paid a fair price for Hayes in the transfer market.
Should it end up that McKenna doesn’t sign through Aberdeen acting up, then Celtic should look further afield than Scotland from now on in.
They should not and cannot be held to ransom.
Gavin McCann
