Celtic transfer target seems interested in Parkhead move

It looks like the long-term Celtic transfer target is open to a move to Parkhead in the near future despite their being interest from elsewhere.

One of the biggest worries for Celtic this season has been their defence. They have been leaking goals left, right and centre; and Neil Lennon is yet to find best combination at the back.

One man who could potentially solve that problem is Philadelphia Union centre-back Mark McKenzie. The 21-year-old has emerged as a standout in the MLS this season and has already made his debut for the United States national team. And the Hoops have been monitoring his developing for quite some time now.

According to multiple reports, they have already had a bid for the American rejected in the past but that does not mean a move in the future is completely out of the picture. And it does look like McKenzie himself is not opposed to the idea of a Parkhead switch.

Speaking with Sky Sports, he said:

"“I’ve done my fair share of research (on Celtic and the Scottish Premiership) and I’ve always loved football so I’ve known about Celtic for a while. You hear about Celtic and the path of Virgil Van Dijk – going from there to the Prem.“I’m no dummy when it comes to understanding the leagues. I have a general idea of what the leagues look like and keeping up with who is at the front of the pack in the league race and tournaments. I know about Celtic and the league – and a lot of other leagues. But it’s an exciting time, though.”"

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Now, it will be interesting to see whether Celtic go after the defender in January or decide to stick with the players they already have. Over the past few months, it has become clear that they need some reinforcements at the back.

Although they have not done terribly over the past two games, there are still too many weaknesses in this team that could get exposed at any point of time. The biggest worry has been Shane Duffy, who has failed to settle into Scottish football till now, when many would have expected him to be the best defender in the country when he first arrived.

His performance against Kilmarnock provided some hope though and if he can build on that, the Hoops might not even need to bring in another centre-back in January. The Republic of Ireland international is only on loan though and it might be a good idea to secure McKenzie’s signature if he does become available in January.