Potential Celtic-Rangers transfer tug of war as Ibrox club linked with move for defender

Old Firm duo credited with interest in Premier League centre-back

Nottingham Forest and Scotland defender Scott McKenna is reportedly a target for both Celtic and Rangers. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Celtic could face competition from Rangers in any attempt to sign Scott McKenna from Nottingham Forest amid reports crediting the Ibrox club with an interest in the Scotland defender.

The 27-year-old centre-back has fallen out of favour at City Ground and is expected to leave the Premier League club in January after being removed from the first-team squad and sent to train on his own under previous manager Steve Cooper.

McKenna has just six months left on his Forest contract and would be available on a cut-price deal, with recent reports suggesting Celtic had emerged as frontrunners to sign the 33-times capped international, who was bought from Aberdeen in 2020 for a fee which eventually rose to £5m.

However, according to Sky Sports, Rangers have now entered the race to sign McKenna, with both halves of the Old Firm said to be interested in a possible loan move with a view to signing the 6ft 2in stopper for free in the summer.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is a long-term admirer of the player having failed in a bid to sign him from Aberdeen during his first spell in charge of Parkhead side. Rodgers is in the market for a new centre-back with Cameron Carter-Vickers enduring an injury-plagued season while Nat Phillips is set to return to Liverpool following an unsuccesful loan spell. Summer signings Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki have also struggled for game-time, although the latter emerged from the cold as a first-half replacement for the injured Stephen Welsh in the 2-1 win over Rangers on December 30.

Rangers boss Philippe Clement is also said to be in the market for a left-sided centre-back with Leon Balogun, who will be 36 when his contract expires at the end of the season, emerging as the first choice partner to Connor Goldson as John Souttar and Ben Davies battle ongoing fitness issues.

McKenna has started each of the last four Scotland matches but securing first team football for the remainder of the season will go a long way towards securing his place in Steve Clarke's Euro 2024 squad, and a possible place in the starting 11 for the tournament opener against hosts Germany on June 14.