Celtic refused a late loan offer from St Mirren for striker Johnny Kenny on transfer deadline day, deciding to keep the 21-year-old at the club for the rest of the season.
According to SunSport, the Buddies made a late push to take Kenny to Paisley on loan, but Celtic opted against sanctioning the move, leaving him as back-up to Adam Idah in Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
Kenny spent the first half of the season and the second half of last on loan at Shamrock Rovers, with the Irish club also keen on bringing him back for a second spell. However, it was St Mirren who made a serious attempt to land him before the 11 pm deadline.
The League of Ireland side does have until February 22nd to secure a return for the striker, but it’s unlikely that Celtic will sanction an exit.
Under FIFA rules, players are generally only allowed to play for two clubs in a season, but due to the differing league calendars in Ireland and Scotland, Kenny would have been eligible to feature for a third club—allowing St Mirren to push for the move.
With no new striker arriving before the deadline, Celtic were left with only Adam Idah as a recognised first-team centre-forward. That lack of depth forced the club’s hand, ensuring Kenny stayed as a squad option rather than heading out for more regular minutes.
While a loan to St Mirren could have given Kenny valuable first-team experience, at a good level, Celtic simply couldn’t afford to weaken their striking options any further.
