Celtic pushing to repeat “schoolboy” Lennon flop by signing £13k-p/w man

The January transfer window is officially set to open for business next month and it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic will be busy in the market.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have already won a trophy this season, beating Rangers on penalties in the League Cup final on Sunday, and have been impressive in the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League.

Celtic came out on top on penalties against their Glasgow rivals at Hampden Park at the weekend after a thrilling 3-3 draw during regular time.

The Hoops have also won 14 of their 15 matches in the top-flight and are already nine points clear of Aberdeen in second place, which shows that they are well on their way to sealing a fourth straight title.

Meanwhile, they have only lost one of their six matches in the Champions League, with a 7-1 hammering by Borussia Dortmund their only defeat of the season in all competitions so far.

Despite the team’s fantastic performances, domestically and in Europe, Rodgers and the club are reportedly looking at possible signings to bolster the playing squad when the January transfer window opens up.

Celtic’s interest in English defender

According to Football Insider, Celtic are ‘pushing’ to sign Hertha Berlin right-back Jonjoe Kenny to add to their defensive depth ahead of the second half of the season.

The report claims that the Hoops are monitoring the 2. Bundesliga full-back ahead of a possible swoop for his services next month, although there is no mention of how much the German side would want for his services.

It states that Rodgers is hoping to make additions to his playing squad in January to ensure that his team can continue to compete on all fronts, with the Premiership, the SFA Cup, and the Champions League still to play for in the coming months.

Football Insider adds, though, that it is currently unlikely that Kenny will complete a move to Parkhead because of his existing history with the Scottish giants.

The English defender spent time on loan in Glasgow in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign and the report claims that his bad experience during that spell is a stumbling block ahead of a possible return to Celtic.

Football Insider reveals that the Hoops are pushing to get a deal done, though, and they could be, as a result, pushing to repeat the same error that Neil Lennon made in 2021.

Jonjoe Kenny’s first spell with Celtic

The England U21 international arrived at Parkhead on loan from Premier League Everton in the winter transfer window at the start of 2021, as the club were looking for a replacement for Jeremie Frimpong.

Bayer Leverkusen had swooped for the Dutch starlet in January and Kenny was subsequently brought in on a short-term deal to start at right-back until the end of the season.

Unfortunately, the Englishman ended up playing a part in the team that failed to secure a tenth straight Premiership title, with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side ultimately winning the division.

Lennon, who brought Kenny to the club on loan, was sacked later the same month and John Kennedy was in interim charge for the remainder of the campaign, before being replaced by Ange Postecoglou – who arrived after the Everton loanee had returned to Goodison Park.

As you can see in the table above, Kenny started all 14 of his appearances in the Premiership but failed to impress, making as many errors that led to opposition shots as he registered assists.

Football Insider pundit Noel Whelan accused him of “schoolboy” defending after his poor pass that led to a corner and then subsequent marking led to a goal from Alfredo Morelos in the Old Firm, in a 1-1 draw.

The same pundit went on to say that Kenny was one of the players who was “not good enough” and would likely leave to never return at the end of the season, as his loan came to an end.

Why Celtic should avoid Jonjoe Kenny

Celtic are reportedly pushing to bring the 27-year-old dud back for a second spell and are in danger of repeating Lennon’s flop with the “schoolboy” defender.

Firstly, signing a player who has already tried and failed to impress at Parkhead, as part of a poor team that failed to win the title, would immediately put him on the back foot with the fanbase, which is not an ideal situation for a player coming in midway through a season.

Also, his performances in the 2. Bundesliga for Hertha Berlin this season do not suggest that he would come in and improve the Celtic squad, which would mean that the Hoops would be taking a big gamble – given his disastrous first spell – by bringing him back.

The £13k-per-week defender has started 16 matches in the second division of German football and contributed with one goal and two ‘big chances’ created for his side.

This shows that he has not provided a consistent, quality, threat at the top end of the pitch from a right-back position, which Rodgers does get from his current first-choice in that role – Alistair Johnston.

As you can see in the table above, the Canada international offers significantly more as an attacking threat whilst also being less vulnerable defensively.

These statistics suggest that it is unlikely that Kenny, who has already struggled at Parkhead in the Premiership once, would come in to offer an upgrade on Johnston.

This is why Rodgers and the recruitment team must opt to avoid a move for the Hertha Berlin defender next month, and identify alternative targets to come in and bolster their squad.