Celtic are desperate to sign a new central defender this summer.
Brendan Rodgers’ desperation to sign a centre-back has seen him linked with a move for Wolfsburg defender Jeffrey Bruma, while reportedly having a £3.5million bid turned down for Aberdeen stopper Scott McKenna.
BBC Sport reported that 21-year-old McKenna was the subject of a seven-figure offer from Celtic, but it is believed that Derek McInnes’ side value the four-time Scotland international at the £10million mark (Sky Sports).
German newspaper Bild have also claimed this week that Rodgers is considering a £7million offer for powerhouse Bruma, with whom he worked alongside at Chelsea during the Dutchman’s teenage years.
Celtic need a centre-back as the saga surrounding Dedryck Boyata is expected to see him leave, while the club needed a central defender anyway with doubts surrounding the performances of Jack Hendry and Jozo Simunovic.
Pundits, such as Chris Sutton, have been crying out for a new centre-back long before the Boyata situation. It should convince Rodgers to rip up his cautious transfer approach and spend big on landing two defenders instead of one.
Indeed, Rodgers should just splash £17million on both McKenna and Bruma to form a new-look centre-back pairing that would take Celtic from defensively frail in Europe to a much more solid outlook on paper.
Bruma’s composure and quality on the ball allows him to take the ball from the back line, much like Harry Maguire or David Luiz are famed for. He boasts plenty of European experience after spells with PSV Eindhoven and Hamburger SV.
That perfectly compliments the up-and-coming talent of McKenna, who has an impressive reputation of no-nonsense defending and willingness to put his body on the line.
Combining Bruma and McKenna, for what would be two deals totalling £17million, would take Celtic to the next level.
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