Mcghee closes in on Kennedy loan

Jul 20 2008 By Scott Mcdermott

MOTHERWELL boss Mark McGhee expects to tie up the loan signing of Celtic defender John Kennedy in the next 48 hours.

The injury-plagued Hoops centre-back joined the Lanarkshire outfit on their pre-season tour of Austria.

A niggling groin strain prevented the defender playing against FCR Cluj in midweek and FC Zlin yesterday.

But Kennedy - who has also attracted interest from Norwich City - should be a Well player this week as McGhee underlined his desire to land him.

After the 2-1 defeat to the Czech side he said: "I don't see any barriers to stop us signing John. We just need to sort out the financial side and I had hoped it would have been done by now.

"But I spoke to Gordon Strachan and expect to tie things up within the next couple of days."

McGhee won't be handing out deals to German defenderMark Le Rande or Spanish midfielder Angel Robles who he gave trials.

However, he would like to add another Celtic starlet in Jim O'Brien and will further assess former Chelsea stopper Lenny Pidgeley.

He said: "Le Rande and Robles will not be coming back to us. But Pidgeley will get another chance and the same goes for Jim."