The Scottish transfer window has come and gone, and for many Celtic fans, it was a frustrating deadline day, with the club failing to sign a striker after selling Kyogo Furuhashi midway through the window.
Despite knowing for months that Kyogo was keen to move on, Celtic did not secure a replacement, leaving the squad thin up front—and yet, Johnny Kenny could still be on the move.
Shamrock Rovers remain interested in bringing Kenny back on loan, with the Irish transfer window open until February 22. [Transfermarkt]
However, for him to be eligible for their Europa Conference League knockout tie against Molde, he would need to sign by Thursday at midnight.
Despite early suggestions that a deal was unlikely, talks have not been ruled out, raising the question—can Celtic really afford to let him go?
With no new striker signed, Kenny is now Celtic’s second-choice striker, behind Adam Idah.
Letting him leave now would mean Celtic would have no natural first-team back-up striker unless Brendan Rodgers deploys Daizen Maeda through the middle. While Jota and Nicolas Kuhn can play out wide, this would still weaken Celtic’s attacking options on the wings.
Given how thin the squad already is in attack, it seems highly unlikely that Celtic will sanction a move for Kenny. With a league title to defend and a Champions League knockout tie against Bayern Munich ahead, keeping as many attacking options available as possible should be the priority.
