Celtic turn £140k investment into £3m as Johnny Kenny heads for Preston

The 23-year-old had attracted significant Championship interest in the closing stages of the transfer window, with Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers also pushing to secure his signature.

However, according to Sky Sports, Preston have now won the race for Kenny after agreeing a fee with Celtic.

The striker is said to have agreed terms on a four-year contract at Deepdale, with the move set to end his four-and-a-half-year spell in Glasgow.

Celtic stand to make a substantial profit on a player they signed from Sligo Rovers for around £140,000 in January 2022.

Kenny struggled to establish himself as a regular first-team option at Parkhead but impressed during spells away from the club.

He scored 26 goals in 76 appearances during his time on loan at Shamrock Rovers before netting six times for Bolton last season despite having his campaign disrupted by injuries.

Kenny returned to Celtic hoping to force his way into the first-team picture, but opportunities have become increasingly difficult to come by following the arrivals of Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran.