Adding fuel to the fire from the summer, one former Celtic star has now claimed that a Premier League player dreams of completing a move to the Bhoys.
Update on Brendan Rodgers' Celtic future
Whilst much of the change has been going on at their Old Firm rivals as of late, Celtic could yet be in for some change of their own.
The Hoops have endured a frustrating start to the campaign and now sit two points behind unexpected leaders, Hearts, in the Scottish Premiership table. Meanwhile, their European form hasn’t been much better, having failed to win both of their opening two Europa League games.
Questions have, therefore, been asked about Brendan Rodgers’ future. The manager has less than a year left on his current deal and is yet to put pen to paper on a fresh contract. If nothing changes, he will not be in the Celtic dugout this time next year.
A meeting was also recently held between the club and fan groups, in which Celtic chief Michael Nicholson claimed that Rodgers sanctions all signings after a summer which is yet to prove successful.
Talks are reportedly ongoing with Rodgers about his future and there remains hope that he could yet stay put, but there’s certainly some unrest creeping in at Celtic.
What’s more, if it is the manager in charge of sanctioning transfers, then the verdict of one former Celtic player about a current Premier League star should be music to Rodgers’ ears ahead of 2026.
Mulgrew claims McGinn dreams of Celtic move
According to former defender Charlie Mulgrew, John McGinn dreams of moving to Celtic even after a transfer away from Aston Villa failed to come into fruition over the summer.
Mulgrew told talkSPORT:
“Listen, John McGinn would’ve loved to have went to Celtic. I know John McGinn personally, his whole family are Celtic fans, but it just didn’t happen for whatever reason.
“I think it’s definitely going to be in his head [to sign for Celtic.] When you’re brought up in Glasgow, the only teams that you see are Celtic and Rangers – and for you, that’s the pinnacle of football.
“I’d picture myself growing up in the streets of Glasgow, picturing myself scoring Rangers, that was my dream. That was the top of the world of football for me.
“Because that was all I had seen – I know now that there’s bigger games, but to then eventually score against Rangers and feel that, I know John McGinn will be desperate to do that. Whether that happens or not, I just don’t know.”
The Scotland international would certainly get Celtic’s transfer history back on track and away from recent flops, but — as Mulgrew said — it remains to be seen whether the Bhoys can secure his signature.
McGinn earns around £120,000-per-week at Villa Park right now, so he’d have to take a dramatic pay cut to seal a move back up north.
His deal expires in 2027, though, so perhaps the Villa captain could entertain a switch to Glasgow once his Birmingham stay comes to an end in under two years — unless he pens an extension.
At that point, a deal for McGinn would almost certainly be out of Celtic’s reach.