According to The Athletic (h/t Daily Express), Celtic have identified Aberdeen ace, Scott McKenna, as a replacement for Kristoffer Ajer if he departs the club this summer.
The 22-year-old Ajer, who still has two years left on his current contract at Celtic Park, has been the subject of transfer speculation in recent times, with clubs like Leicester City and AC Milan hot on his trail.
Meanwhile, Ajer has been at Celtic since arriving in 2016 for a fee of around £650,000. However, the youngster quickly established himself as a key member in the Celtic line-up and is one of their most prized assets at the moment.
Ajer has been a regular in the Celtic backline since his brief loan spell at Kilmarnock during his maiden campaign in Scotland. To date, he has played 129 matches for the Scottish giants across all competitions and has 5 goals and 3 assists to his name.
McKenna has been a key player for Aberdeen this season, making 35 appearances for them in total. One of the first names in the team sheet, McKenna was crucial in Aberdeen achieving a fourth-place finish in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Despite missing out on a few matches due to various injuries, McKenna was a regular starter in the side and played 24 league games this season. He managed seven clean sheets in the process.
His impressive displays at the back for the Dons has seen them emerge as the side with the second-best defensive record in the league. Aberdeen conceded just 36 goals from their overall 30 league games this season and McKenna had a major role to play in it.
A product of the Aberdeen youth system, McKenna has so far played 112 times for them since making his debut back in 2016. He has also had loan spells at Scottish sides Ayr United and Alloa Athletic and is not short of experience.
Celtic lost experienced defender Jozo Simunovic recently after the 25-year-old’s contract at the club expired at the end of last month. This leaves them with just Christopher Jullien, Jack Hendry, and Hatem Abd Elhamed in central defence.
Jullien remains manager Lennon’s obvious first-choice at the back, however, Hendry and Elhamed are clearly not his favourites and are yet to impress. Considering all this, it would be safe for the Scottish champions to rope in a defender like McKenna, who is a familiar face in Scotland.
With Ajer’s current situation remaining a major concern for Celtic, it would be wise of the club to make an approach for the experienced McKenna. Though still young, the Scotsman has already proved his worth with Aberdeen in the last couple of years. He will be a good addition at Parkhead. Hence, they should make a move for him as it seems like a safe option at the moment.
