One thing might stop Kieran McKenna leaving Ipswich Town - some Celtic fans think they’ve worked it out | OneFootball

Celtic fans are questioning whether the club will be able to afford the £5m compensation required to appoint Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna.

Celtic must pay in excess of £5m if they want to appoint Kieran McKenna as Brendan Rodgers’ successor at Parkhead.

The Glasgow giants are on the lookout for a new manager after the ex-Leicester chief dramatically resigned on Monday night following issues with the hierarchy over the summer transfer window that have dragged on.

Since then, there has been plenty of speculation over who Celtic could appoint, with reports revealing interim boss Martin O’Neill has recommended McKenna to majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

Celtic learn hefty compensation fee for Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna

However, any move for the 39-year-old won’t be straightforward, as the Daily Record has stated that Ipswich will demand over £5m for McKenna and his backroom team.

The Northern Irishman signed a new contract at Portman Road last year following Ipswich’s promotion to the Premier League, so the Tractor Boys were always going to put a big release clause as part of the agreement.

Plus, it means McKenna is likely to be commanding a significant salary, with the update claiming he is the highest paid boss outside the Premier League.

That could be a major stumbling block for the Scottish champions, as the board have been criticised for some time for their unwillingness to spend on the team, and that lack of investment was a key factor in Rodgers’ unhappiness.

Therefore, whilst appointing McKenna would be a coup, many Celtic fans couldn’t help but feel the compensation required would mean the ex-Man Utd coach wouldn’t make the move north of the border…

Another fan questioned whether the club would be in a position to match the demands of McKenna.

Following the same theme, this Celtic fan made it clear he feels McKenna's salary puts him out of their reach.

This fan was keen to point out that Desmond had claimed he reinvests 'every pound' back into the club, and with Celtic known to have in excess of £75m in the bank, this would be the sort of appointment they should be targeting.

Kieran McKenna would be a shrewd long-term appointment for Celtic

Firstly, Ipswich deserve praise for protecting themselves with a big release clause for McKenna, as he is a very talented manager, and they obviously don't want to lose him.

They had to fight to fend off Premier League interest in the boss 12 months ago, and even though McKenna's stock isn't as high right now, the remarkable work he has done at Portman Road means he will always have admirers.

The appeal of Celtic is obvious, so McKenna may feel it's the right time to take that step if Celtic formalise their interest with an official approach.

But, you can understand why Celtic fans are sceptical about whether the club will pay for McKenna. It may not seem a big fee to outsiders, but the hierarchy at Parkhead have been keen to do things on the cheap over the years, so this would be a significant change in approach.