Celtic confirm surprise transfer decision after Kasper Hogh signing

9 Aug 2026 12:06 BST | 6 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

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Celtic assistant manager Shaun Maloney has confirmed that Johnny Kenny will remain at the club this season, despite the club-record signing of Kasper Hogh.

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Kenny, 23, spent the second half of last season on loan at League One side Bolton Wanderers, after failing to establish himself as a regular starter at Celtic, and he scored six goals in 14 league games for the club.

Current ETV

Johnny Kenny

F (C)

Bolton Wanderers

Johnny Kenny

F (C)

Bolton Wanderers

ETV Range

€0.9M - €1.4M

Bolton are understood to be interested in bringing him back to the club on a permanent basis and it has previously been suggested that Kenny could be sold after missing pre-season with a knee injury.

However, when asked if Kenny will remain at Celtic Park this summer, Maloney admitted (via The Celtic Way): “At the moment, yeah, I think he spoke to Martin and he's staying. He's part of the squad.

“I think there was something online about the squad number, that was incorrect. So, yeah, Johnny's part of the squad. I'd say he's just about fit now. He hasn't been fit during pre-season. He's one of ours and he's fighting to get minutes on the pitch.”

The aforementioned Hogh has arrived from Bodo/Glimt for a club-record fee of €12.9 million, while Celtic have also signed Qarabag attacker Camilo Duran to bolster their forward line for the 2026-27 season.

As a result, Kenny has been heavily linked with an exit before Deadline Day, with opportunities likely to be limited, but Maloney has confirmed that he will remain at Celtic Park and fight for his place in Martin O’Neill’s squad.

The Republic of Ireland international has scored seven goals in 32 games for Celtic since his arrival from Sligo Rovers, and his current contract runs until 2029.

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Paulo Bernardo leaves Celtic

Meanwhile, Maloney has confirmed the reason behind Paulo Bernardo’s loan move to Polish outfit Gornik Zabrze.

“Paulo and Martin spoke. There was a loan offer for him in January and we really wanted him to stay,” Maloney said.

“He’s a brilliant professional and a great player, but he needed to play games. Paulo and Martin came to the decision that if he wasn’t going to be a regular here, he should go and get games.

“He is a great professional, a great guy and trains 100 per cent every day, even when he doesn’t make squads. We will see where he is at in 12 months’ time.”