Celtic were determined to snap up Sligo Rovers sensation Johnny Kenny after missing out on Seamus Coleman 13 years ago.
Kenny has agreed to move to Celtic in a deal worth an initial €150,000 to Liam Buckley’s club.
This figure will increase substantially if the 18-year-old’s progress triggers a range of add-on clauses for first team appearances and international caps.
There is also a sell-on clause that will earn Sligo 15 per cent of any future move by Kenny to another club if a transfer fee is involved.
The teenager netted 11 times in the Premier Division in 2021 and enhanced his reputation with a string of impressive displays for the Ireland Under-19 side.
The Hoops were outbid by Everton for Coleman in January 2009 when the Toffees’ €70,000 offer was accepted by the Bit O’ Red with subsequent add-ons earning Sligo a total of €170,000 for the future Ireland skipper.
Celtic had offered Sligo €50,000 but Sligo turned it down.
It was known that Coleman was keen to move to Parkhead at the time.
However, David Moyes’ determination to sign Coleman saw Celtic left on the sideline.
This turned to anger when the Killybegs man progressed quickly, initially on loan with Blackpool, to become a regular in the first team.
This led to recriminations in Celtic Park with then-manager Neil Lennon ordering a review of what happened during the final months of Gordon Strachan’s largely successful four-year term in charge.
It’s notable that, apart from receiving a larger immediate fee for Kenny, Sligo have also secured that sell-on clause in the deal.
This did not form part of the deal for Coleman which left Sligo without any legal claim on part of a fee had he left Goodison Park.
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