Celtic have been linked with a move for Philadelphia Union defender Mark McKenzie for some time.

The Hoops first showed an interest over the summer, and even though the club eventually brought in Shane Duffy, they retained their interest past the latest deadline.

Philadelphia Union boss Jim Curtin, who described McKenzie as ‘unbelievable’ not long ago, has now addressed the player’s future.

The 41-year-old, as quoted by the official MLS website, revealed there was ‘nothing on the table’ as of yet, however, Curtin seemed to leave the door open for any interested parties.

Look, at this moment there is nothing on the table. But we are not blind, we can’t wait until something comes, we’ll do our homework and always look for replacements.

With transfers, it’s not that easy. You have three parties you need to agree, but we will do something. You can be sure. We’ll do something in almost every part of the roster. There’s more to come.

In our opinion, chief executive Peter Lawwell must act on these latest quotes straight away.

It appears as if Duffy may have his season-long loan cut short at Parkhead in the New Year, which will leave Neil Lennon needing another centre-back.

The MLS season is now over, and with no offers on the table currently, if Celtic hurry, they could manage to seal a deal fairly quickly.

A deal appears to be financially doable for the Hoops as well.

Should a centre-back be a priority this January?

Yes

No

The Daily Record suggested over the summer that he was rated at £1m. However, since then, he has earned a senior USA call up and has been an ever-present figure in the Philadelphia side.

That may put his price up, but overall, it appears as if a deal is there to be had for the Hoops, they just need to be proactive and get one over the line.