In recent days, Celtic have been linked with both Scott McKenna and James McCarthy.
For differing reasons, however, the club need to avoid going for either ahead of the second-half of the transfer window.
McKenna was the subject of some failed attempts by Celtic to nab him at the start of the season. Aberdeen reportedly value him at £10million, and that has to be enough for Celtic to squash interest.
Nothing against the Dons centre-back either. He’s a very capable defender, and despite being raw, has plenty of positive attributes to his game. But despite his potential, he’s nowhere near a £10m player yet.
He’s yet to even bag 100 Aberdeen appearances yet. Outside of loan spells at Ayr United and Alloa Athletic, that’s the only senior football McKenna has racked up. At this stage, there must be better options out there than McKenna for close to £10m.
Celtic’s need for a centre-back is great, but not desperate.
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Another central-midfielder would also be a pointless investment
Their need, however, for yet another central-midfielder, most certainly isn’t great. That’s why a move for reported target McCarthy is a no-go.
McCarthy has yet to play one single game for Everton this season. At 28-years of age, he needs to be playing regularly, something Celtic couldn’t offer him anything close to.
The Hoops were of course keen on McCarthy before he went down south back in 2009, but times have changed. Celtic now have the likes of Callum McGregor, Scott Brown, Ryan Christie, Olivier Ntcham, Tom Rogic, and Nir Bitton available for those midfield slots. That’s without even mentioning Youssouf Mulumbu.
McCarthy, who’ll likely demand a high wage whether he arrives on a loan deal or permanently, just isn’t a necessary signing anymore.
The main priorities for Celtic remain a high-quality right-back and centre-back. As it stands, another central midfielder is a criminal waste of money that could be going to key areas that need strengthening.
McCarthy, therefore, has to be put to one side for at least this moment in time.
These are two deals Celtic need to avoid doing. McKenna’s cost and McCarthy’s lack of game-time are huge concerns. Better options remain out there, and here’s hoping the club understand that.