Celtic's Alistair Johnston is a man in demand, with Everton preparing a bid for the Canadian full-back. The Hoops are bracing for potential outgoings, but the word from inside Parkhead is they neither need nor want to sell Johnston.
What happened?
The World Cup has fired Johnston onto the wish lists in the top five leagues in Europe, with Everton boss David Moyes preparing to make a bid. The Canadian full-back has been a major miss for a chunk of last season, but his impact on his return played a huge part in Celtic getting over the line to claim the Premiership title.
Why it matters for Celtic
The Hoops are still well short in key areas despite the capture of a couple of strikers. They need a minimum of one new winger, at least two midfielders – maybe more with expected departures – another centre back, a back-up left back and a keeper to challenge Viljami Sinisalo. Losing Johnston now on top of it would be a heck of a body blow.
What comes next?
The good thing for Hoops fans is the word from inside Parkhead is they neither need nor want to sell Johnston. The Canadian full-back has done three-and-a-half years in Glasgow and he's 27 now. He's at the optimum time to cash in, but can Celtic afford to? The Hoops are still well short in key areas, and losing Johnston now on top of it would be a heck of a body blow.
Celtic are currently 3 points behind leaders Heart Of Midlothian in the title race, with 59 goals scored and 35 conceded this season. They have a next fixture vs Dundee Utd (away, 2026-12-30) and are 3rd in the Premiership, 67 pts, 21W-4D-8L from 33 games, recent form WWLWW.
