Celtic transfer target Mark McKenzie has completed his move to Belgian side Genk. The USA central defender has sealed a move to the Jupiler League for a fee of around $4m. Neil Lennon’s side had been heavily linked with the player but today’s news highlights another transfer failing at the club.
At just 21-years-old, Celtic appeared to be a promising option for both parties offering him a platform to play in Europe and compete for trophies but has decided to move to KRC Genk. Celtic could have upped the bid in the summer but opted to go for Shane Duffy on a season-long loan deal from Brighton.
'We got him!' 🤗
De Amerikaanse international Mark McKenzie is onze tweede wintertransfer. Hij komt over van Philadelphia Union. 💙 🇺🇸👉 https://t.co/UsZb0499bn#krcgenk #mijnploeg pic.twitter.com/fCoCfEKMbg
— KRC Genk (@KRCGenkofficial) January 7, 2021
It will be a case of what might have been as the player was unveiled as Genk’s latest signing. With Christopher Jullien ruled out for four months, Celtic have been in the market for a central defender meaning McKenzie going to Genk is a major blow for the club, who have used the MLS market to sign some players in the past. Celtic have previously signed two promising MLS starlets – Manny Perez and Andrew Gutman with the pair yet to feature. The MLS is becoming an emerging talent pool for Scottish clubs as they use their locality to South America to pick up promising talents. Homegrown talent like McKenzie are showcased in matches with certain quotas needing fulfilled of local players, allowing them to use their platform for a move to a bigger league.
KRC Genk have confirmed the signing of Philadelphia Union centre-back Mark McKenzie.
Celtic spent a lot of effort in monitoring him for a long time, were unsuccessful in their summer bids and opted to Shane Duffy on loan for this season.
— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) January 7, 2021
