Celtic could be set to capatilise on one club’s financial woes by landing one of their players for a bargain price in January, according to reports.
Celtic transfer news
Celtic’s Scottish Premiership campaign has gotten off to an outstanding start, with Brendan Rodgers’ team winning 14 games and drawing one out of their first 15 matches. Despite their good form, the Hoops are still reportedly looking at ways to bolster their squad in January.
Recent reports suggest that the club have taken the lead in the race for Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, edging ahead of Serie A giants AC Milan in the competition for his signature. Veteran Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has also been linked with a surprise move to Celtic Park, with Rodgers keen to add some European experience to his squad.
Eriksen is out of contract at Old Trafford next summer, so is currently set to be available on a Bosman at the end of the season, when a move is more likely.
The Dane’s current £150,000 weekly wage, however, would likely be a huge stumbling block in any potential move to Celtic. The Scottish club’s current highest-earner, captain Callum McGregor, earns merely a quarter of that with reported wages of £37,000-per-week.
Celtic eyeing move for Jonjoe Kenny
Another player reportedly on Celtic’s radar is former defender and current Hertha Berlin star Jonjoe Kenny. According to Sport Bild, via SportsWitness, the Hoops are keen on bringing Kenny back to Celtic Park, where he had a loan spell in 2021, after the New Year.
The report claims Celtic are “keen” on Kenny and are ahead of also-interested Bournemouth in the proposed chase for the 27-year-old defender, who joined Hertha from Everton in 2022.
Bild also states that with Hertha now in the German second division, having been relegated in 2023, Kenny wants to play top flight football and is eyeing a move away from the Olympiastadion Berlin, while Hertha are also open to selling him because of their precarious financial situation. The club has debts of around £75 million and “urgently need” funds, according to Bild, so could let Kenny go for as little as £2 million.
Kenny’s loan spell at Celtic three years ago was difficult. The Englishman struggled for form, most notably scoring an own-goal in the Old Firm derby against Rangers, making just 15 appearances before being shipped back to Everton.
Opening up on his time in the Scottish capital, Kenny told EvertonTV, via The Celtic Way, that off-the-field problems contributed to his poor displays.
“Celtic was a difficult period for me, off the pitch, especially,” he explained. “But having close family and friends and my agent and good mentors around me, and choosing that path and having these people who can really help me progress, changed a lot of things for me mentally.
“I have had a lot of ups and downs but it is about staying at it and doing what I need and focusing on me.”