Celtic have been linked with Scotland international Scott McKenna in recent weeks; however, any deal appears to be in jeopardy. The defender seems to have shut down the rumours and insisted that he expects to remain at Dinamo Zagreb.
Earlier this month, Zagreb were crowned league champions, leading the pack by 18 points. That marks McKenna's first-ever league winners' medal, and days before their season ended, it was reported that the Hoops were 'stuck' on a deal for the player.
The Parkhead side sent scouts on four separate occasions, but his side has always been demanding a fee in the range of £10 million. That would've been a lot of money for Celtic to spend, but it seems they won't have to worry about it anymore, as he has pledged his future to the club.
Speaking after Zagreb won the league, he said: "I have a four-year contract, so I’m here for a few more years.
"I knew I was going to the World Cup, but my focus was completely on Dinamo. Now we’ve won the double, and I can dedicate myself to Scotland and going to the World Cup.
"It’s been a long season, and it hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve stuck together and are enjoying ourselves as a team now. I’m happy for everyone — the fans, the coaches and everyone at the club. It’s a crazy feeling.
"There were some tough times in the first part of the season. We stuck together, the board supported the manager, and we’ve been incredible since Christmas. We’ve been scoring a lot of goals in a lot of games, and it’s been really good to watch."
Massive blow for the Hoops
Losing out on McKenna is a massive blow for Celtic. Some think that it is a 'bottom of the barrel deal', but he is a class player, and he would've been brilliant at Parkhead.
Some people won't be happy with centre-back selections going into the next campaign. Cameron Carter-Vickers is set to return from injury, which is amazing, but Liam Scales and Auston Trusty are still points of contention.
For all we know, Trusty could be off anyway. There were clubs from Serie A interested in his services in January, so they could reignite their interest, especially if he has a good World Cup with the USA.
Scales is a constant at Parkhead and is a class player, and he recently signed a contract extension that will see him remain at the club for the foreseeable future. However, despite us having decent options, you would still expect that the board will look to bring in more players.
There are rumours, but nothing is concrete. With the McKenna saga over, we can now turn our attention elsewhere, and it won't be long before more players start popping up.
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