Manchester United were rejected a day before deadline day by a promising starlet who opted to sign for another Premier League club
Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter
06:00, 03 Feb 2026
Callan McKenna’s desire to join Bournemouth saw him reject Manchester United a day before deadline day(Image: Athena Pictures/Getty Images)
Callan McKenna rejected Manchester United in order to join Bournemouth – despite speaking to the Premier League giants a day before deadline day in 2024.
The goalkeeper, 19, was a highly-rated prospect at Scottish side Queen’s Park and was reportedly subject of interest from Arsenal and United. However, it was the Cherries that appealed most to the Scotsman, following a Zoom call with members of the club’s footballing team.
McKenna left the decision to leave Scotland late but made sure to travel to Manchester United a day before deadline day to inform them that he was rejecting their offer.
Upon making the move to the Vitality Stadium, he revealed his reasons behind turning down United. He told Bournemouth’s official matchday programme in 2024: “A 15-minute Zoom call with (assistant technical director) Simon Francis and (head of goalkeeping) Neil Moss.
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“I travelled to Manchester and met the people from Manchester United the day before deadline day. That night, I had the Zoom call and was invested in coming here. The following morning, the guys from United came to take me to the training ground and I told them it wasn’t what I wanted.
Callan McKenna rejected Manchester United in order to sign for Bournemouth(Image: Bournemouth)
“They tried their best to persuade me, but I wanted to come here.” McKenna admitted that Bournemouth’s history of platforming goalkeepers in the first team was a key reason in his decision to join the club.
He explained: “I thought I would be closer to the first team and you only need to look at some of the goalkeepers Bournemouth have brought through, like Mark Travers and Aaron Ramsdale. You want to follow in their footsteps.
“Coming here sounded perfect and it has been so far. It’s not just about the badge or saying you play for this or that team, that’s for later in my career. Hopefully in 20 years’ time, you can say you’ve done X, Y or Z. But for the here and now, Bournemouth is perfect for me. It was difficult to adjust at the start, but I love it now.
The 19-year-old has yet to make a first team appearance for the Cherries(Image: AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
“This is my life now and I feel I’m progressing well so, hopefully, I can continue to do that. Hopefully coming here will put me on the way to eventually playing in the Premier League.” Since joining, he’s mainly featured for the club’s youth team but has been on the bench for several Premier League matches.
While he’s yet to make his senior debut for the Cherries, he signed a new contact with the club last October. Upon inking his new deal, McKenna said: “I’m delighted to sign a new deal with the club, who have been brilliant for me since I arrived. I feel like I’m improving every day working with the coaches and goalkeepers here.
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“Being able to learn off experienced shot-stoppers like Djordje Petrovic has really helped my game and I’m looking forward to seeing what I can achieve in the coming years here as I further my development.”