CELTIC yesterday had a bid of £3.5million for Scott McKenna REJECTED by Aberdeen. And while Celtic are expected to go back, Aberdeen insiders are saying that the player who is on a five year contract at Pittodrie, is NOT going to be sold in this transfer window.
McKenna, previously a target of Hull City, was interesting Swansea before he picked up a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw against the World Beaters on the opening day of the season.
That injury will keep him on the sidelines for another month and the Welsh interest ended at that stage, with the English window subsequently closing.
Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen manager, slapped a £10miliion price ticket on his 21 year old defender, who had just a year before been out on loan at Ayr United. However such was his impressive form for the Dons last season that the former Aberdeen central defender, Alex McLeish – now Scotland boss – made McKenna Scotland captain on the summer tour of the Americas.
Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell could be facing a re-run of his John McGinn nightmare. Despite the player being targeted and meeting up with Brendan Rodgers towards the end of last season, Lawwell haggled over the price for most of the summer before Aston Villa nipped in just before the English window closed to snatch the player from under Celtic’s noses.
Lawwell knows that Dedryck Boyata, who will feature for Celtic for the last time tomorrow evening in Lithuania, will be sold – all going well – before the Scottish window closes at the end of the month.
The Celtic hierarchy realise that it would be inadvisable to put the Belgian stopper out in-front of the Celtic support on Sunday against Hamilton or in the return leg of the europa League play-off next week – Celtic’s last two fixtures before the window closes.
Aberdeen will watch all of the with interest and if Celtic want to capture the 21 year old before then they are looking at breaking the Scottish record for a transfer between two Scottish clubs – the £4.4million that Celtic paid to Hibs over a decade ago for Scott Brown.
Brendan Rodgers is managing Boyata’s departure to try to maintain a transfer value for Celtic and expects to see McKenna coming in as his replacement.
