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Celtic’s summer target speaks out on transfer ambitions

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Mark McKenzie has confirmed that his ambition is to become a Champions League player.

During the summer transfer window Celtic were strongly linked with a move for the Philadelphia Union defender but that interest seemed to come to a halt when Shane Duffy arrived at the club.

McKenzie has impressed in the centre of the Philadelphia defence. With no guarantees that Duffy and Kris Ajer will be at Celtic next season interest in the 21-year-old could well be revived.

Asked about his career ambitions McKenzie told the MLS Extra Time podcast:

Ultimately, it’s about the personal experience, I think, so the only way for me to understand it fully is to be over there and to compete. Whichever club that is, I think it’s going to be the experience of a lifetime, but I have aspirations to play at the highest level, to play Champions League football. I think that’s as simple as it is.

Ultimately, a ball-playing league is a league that I want to be part of. I think that, again, that’s where you’re going to be tested and I can’t say what the future holds right now, but ultimately, I do see myself playing against, again, these world-class 9s, these world-class 10s, these world-class 7s and 11s who are going to put me under pressure, both defensively and with the ball.

But having the capabilities to know that I can play and compete against them is something I’m looking forward to and it’s something that is pushing me day in and day out.

Celtic would have two Champions League options for McKenzie- the direct route by qualifying or showcasing his ability in the Europa League to earn another move.

Going straight from the MLS to one of the top clubs in a top four country is unlikely but Celtic have shown through Virgil van Dijk, Dedryk Boyata and Jason Denayer a pathway to the top level.

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