NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 02: Scott McKenna of Nottingham Forest during a training session at The Nigel Doughty Academy on November 02, 2023 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Ami Ford/Nottingham Forest FC via Getty Images)
There’s a lot in the papers today about Scott McKenna, just as there was yesterday and the day before. The media finally got around to asking him directly about interest from Glasgow. As I wrote in my article on him yesterday, they’ve twigged that if we don’t want him the club from Ibrox might, and there is much media excitement over his comments.
But those comments don’t actually amount to that much.
He has heard the drum beat of the rumour mill, he’s a free agent, he would be interested in talking to any club which made him an offer and … err … that’s it. He’s neither sent encouragement nor suggested that we don’t waste our time picking up the phone. All very neutral. All very non-controversial.
It’s that time in the transfer window where nobody wants to say or do the wrong thing. It’s like Idah’s comments from the other day; he was keen not to stir the pot or say anything daft when he was asked about a move to Celtic because he’s still contracted to Norwich.
McKenna wasn’t going to say “yeah sure I’d love to go to Celtic” because what if the Ibrox club were interested until that point and then dropped their interest?
Most players won’t take chances.
We are still two days out for the actual opening of the window; it doesn’t formally happen until 14 June, which is Friday, but at the moment there really is no real news. The Record has one of the stupidest transfer stories of the summer so far up today, and I’ll be writing about that later, but as far as McKenna goes we’ve got all the news that’s fit to print.
Which is to say none. He’d consider a move to Celtic, and that is not a surprise. He played in the Champions League last season with Copenhagen – a team who, as I said in a piece during the campaign, showed us what might have been with an astute transfer policy run by the manager – and having played there he wants more … a subtle nod to us, or just an acknowledgement that every player wants to compete on that stage?
I think McKenna would sign for us, that he’d be a decent signing and that he would enhance the squad. But a lot of things would have to fall into place in just the right way before that would happen. He’d need to be realistic about the salary for a start.
A lot of our fans wouldn’t be terribly impressed about the deal either … he’d need to win them over as well.
In a sense, he’s gotten lucky that this has fallen during a major finals.
If he has a good time of it at the Euros he can write his own ticket and there will be interest from clubs who wouldn’t consider a punt on him right now. If he has a shocker, on the other hand, that’s going to be pretty bad for him.
I do know that Rodgers will not be the only person watching with interest.
McKenna and his family would love him to sign for Celtic as it’s us they support,
I would like us to sign him too, can’t see him going to “them”
Scott McKenna doesn’t fit the profile and I’d steer clear. We need a centre half with pace as we play with a high line in most games. This is the same as Siegrist, a good goalkeeper but needs to have the ability to play out with his feet. Stop trying to put square pegs in round holes. We’re binning Lagerbielke for being too slow yet McKenna is even slower. Much more suited out there.