Sources: Kieran McKenna's chances rated of being next Celtic manager

Kieran McKenna has strong admirers behind the scenes at Celtic as they weigh up their next manager, sources have told Football Insider.

Martin O'Neill is widely expected to set down from his position come the end of the season, as was the plan upon his permanent appointment, with months remaining on his contract.

A number of names have already been mentioned behind the scenes, with speculation beginning to ramp up, and the former Ipswich Town boss is firmly among the contenders.

As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, McKenna is highly regarded at Celtic and has previously been considered by the board.

Following his departure from Portman Road during the summer, the boss' availability has placed a number of clubs on high alert, as the Hoops are not his only admirers.

However, they may face issues getting McKenna's appointment over the line amid concerns about an £8million compensation fee that would be owed to Ipswich Town.

Could Celtic look to appoint Kieran McKenna?

Football Insider revealed back in May that Celtic had sounded out McKenna to take over from O'Neill, but at the time he was focused on ending the season with Ipswich.

Since then, he has stepped away from his position at Portman Road and spent a couple of months out of the game, leading to suggestions he could soon be tempted back in.

While there remains the possibility he could be poached by another of his admirers, the chance to take over at Parkhead at the end of the season could prove tempting.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Celtic are going to have to plan for life without Martin O'Neill, who will leave at the end of his contract next summer.

"There's not a great deal of top quality managers out there as we spoke about previously, so it'll be interesting to see where they go with it.

"Keiran McKenna would be a big target for Celtic if they were able to lure him in, because he is somebody they've been after for a while.

"He was linked with a job when Brendan Rodgers left and when Wilfred Nancy left. So look, he's got admirers within Celtic Park, but obviously they would have a lot of competition for his services.

"It might also be difficult from a financial perspective if they have to pay that compensation fee to Ipswich, so we'll see what happens with that."

Why might Celtic miss out on McKenna?

Celtic remain among McKenna's strongest admirers, despite interest from elsewhere, and have long been keen to lure the manager to Parkhead to become their next manager.

After having missed out in the past, concerns have been raised about other offers which could be on the table for the manager, with Celtic now facing multiple potential problems.

Former Man United coach Mick Brown warned Football Insider on 29 September that Celtic could miss out on McKenna as they are reluctant to pay his compensation fee.

That comes as any club that pursues the 40-year-old will have to part ways with a reported £8million to his former club Ipswich, which could deter the Hoops' interest.

While O'Neill remains safe in his position for now, plans are being made for his departure at the end of the season, but uncertainty has lingered about whether McKenna will land the job.