Celtic face a tough decision over whether to renew their interest in Scott McKenna, who is set to leave Nottingham Forest on a free transfer this month. The Scotland defender has been linked with a move to Rangers, who could snap him up for nothing in the summer.
McKenna’s fall from grace at Forest
McKenna was once a highly sought-after player, who attracted bids from Celtic, Aston Villa and QPR when he was at Aberdeen. He eventually joined Nottingham Forest in 2020 for a fee that could have risen to £6m, making him the most expensive Scottish defender ever.
He helped Forest secure promotion to the Premier League last season, but his relationship with the club soured over a contract dispute. He has not played for Forest since September, and has been frozen out of the first-team squad by both Steve Cooper and Nuno Espirito Santo.
McKenna is keen to leave Forest this month, as he wants to secure his place in Steve Clarke’s squad for Euro 2024. He has 19 caps for Scotland, and was part of the team that reached the last 16 of Euro 2020.
Rangers’ interest in McKenna
Rangers are reportedly interested in signing McKenna, as they look to bolster their defence. They have already lost Connor Goldson, who joined West Ham on a free transfer, and could lose Filip Helander, who has been linked with a move to Italy.
Rangers could sign McKenna on loan until the end of the season, with the option of making the deal permanent in the summer. They would not have to pay a fee to Forest, as McKenna’s contract expires in June.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement has praised McKenna’s qualities, and said he would be a good fit for his system. He said: “Scott is a very good defender, who has experience at the highest level. He is strong, quick, and good on the ball. He can play in a back three or a back four, which suits our style of play.”
Celtic’s dilemma over McKenna
Celtic have a dilemma over whether to renew their interest in McKenna, who they tried to sign in 2017 and 2018. They had bids of £3.5m and £4m rejected by Aberdeen, who valued him at £10m.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has not ruled out a move for McKenna, but he has other priorities in the transfer market. He said: “Scott is a player we know well, and we have followed his progress over the years. He is not on our list of targets at the moment, but we are always open to opportunities that can improve our squad.”
Celtic have already signed two defenders this month, Liel Abada from Maccabi Petah Tikva and Daizen Maeda from Yokohama F. Marinos. They have also tied down Callum McGregor, Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate to new contracts.
Celtic are currently top of the Premiership, four points ahead of Rangers, who have a game in hand. They will face their rivals in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on February 4.
