Johnny Kenny has to be in Celtic’s first team plans next season as fine form continues at Bolton Wanderers
Johnny Kenny has spent the second half of the 2025-26 campaign out on loan at Bolton Wanderers.
The Celtic star struggled to make an impact in the Scottish Premiership during the first half of the season and netted just four goals in the division.
As a result, he was allowed to depart for Bolton in the winter window, in hopes that he would return to form.
In League One, he has done exactly that and netted his third goal in three matches for the club on Tuesday.
Now, Celtic simply have to give Kenny a second chance next season, with his ruthlessness in front of goal appearing to be back.
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VISIT THE CELTIC MATCH HUBJohnny Kenny has been fantastic for Bolton Wanderers
Since arriving at Bolton earlier this year, Kenny has quickly established himself as a key player.
To date, he has played eight matches in the English third tier, scoring four times and collecting three assists.
| Johnny Kenny’s League One stats for Bolton Wanderers | Per 90 minutes |
| Goals | 0.51 |
| xG | 0.47 |
| Shots | 3.34 |
| Assists | 0.39 |
| Chances created | 1.41 |
This has helped place Bolton third in the table, and while automatic promotion is unlikely, they are in a good position to win the playoffs.
His stats in the division have also been impressive, with the attacker averaging 0.51 goals, a 0.47 xG, 3.34 shots, 0.39 assists and 1.41 chances created per game.
KENNY DOUBLES OUR LEAD!!!#bwfc pic.twitter.com/dcFHpXdT9U
— Bolton Wanderers (@OfficialBWFC) April 14, 2026
As a result, once his loan spell ends, Celtic have to consider allowing him back into the first team picture.
While he was poor in the first half of the season, so were many players, many of whom have not improved in 2026.
Therefore, given Kenny’s form and Celtic’s attacking issues, they would be fools to let him go again in the summer without giving him a chance.
What are Celtic’s current plans with Kenny?
As it stands, Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Celtic are set to consider selling Kenny in the summer transfer window.
An influx of summer transfers is expected to force him even further down the pecking order at Parkhead.
As a result, another loan deal or a permanent sale is expected as the new manager looks to reshape his squad.
However, it remains to be seen if his current form for Bolton will change this as Celtic look to become the dominant force in Scotland once more.
Target: Elijah Just (Motherwell)
Long-term: Carter-Vickers out
League Pos: 2nd (61 pts)
Status: Summer Talks Underway
Revenue: £143.6m (2025)