Arne Slot reveals his transfer strategy for the upcoming transfer windows (Credits: Imago Images)
Celtic fans are still celebrating the capture of Kasper Hogh following Daizen Maeda’s departure, but the transfer rollercoaster may be far from finished.
Everton boss David Moyes is preparing to make a formal attempt to sign Alistair Johnston, the Canadian right back who has become one of Celtic’s most important players.
Sources on Merseyside suggest Moyes would be willing to spend up to around £15m to bring the 27-year-old to Goodison Park this summer window.
However, the word from inside Parkhead is that Celtic neither need nor want to sell Johnston at this stage of the transfer window.
Johnston’s performances at the World Cup on home soil in Canada have fired him onto the wish lists of clubs across Europe’s top five leagues.
The full back was a significant absence for a large portion of last season, and his return played a major role in Celtic clinching the Premiership title.
He is comfortable operating as an orthodox overlapping full back or in an inverted role, making him central to the way Celtic build and sustain their attacks.
Celtic drafted in Julian Araujo on loan last term as cover, with the Bournemouth defender becoming something of a cult figure, but he still did not contribute as much as Johnston, particularly in an attacking sense.
Brendan Rodgers, following the groundwork laid by Ange Postecoglou, helped develop Johnston significantly since his debut at Ibrox in January 2023, refining the raw qualities that made him such a natural fit for Scottish football.
Johnston is under contract at Celtic until 2029, giving the club considerable leverage if they choose to play hardball with any interested parties.
Celtic still have considerable squad-building work ahead, requiring at minimum one new winger, at least two midfielders, another centre back, a back-up left back, and a goalkeeper to challenge Viljami Sinisalo.
Losing Johnston amid those pressing recruitment needs would represent a serious blow to Rodgers and his coaching staff heading into the new campaign.
A Champions League qualifier also looms on the horizon, and Johnston’s presence will be considered essential for those high-stakes European fixtures.
The £15m figure Everton are reportedly prepared to offer may not be sufficient to make Celtic seriously consider opening negotiations at this point.
There is also the possibility that Everton’s interest could prompt other clubs to enter the race, potentially driving the fee beyond what any single club initially anticipated.
Johnston himself is not the type to force through a move or manufacture unrest, and by all accounts he remains settled in his life away from Glasgow’s city centre.
However, at 27 and in the prime of his career, the lure of the Premier League, along with a significant wage increase, represents a genuinely compelling proposition.
Celtic can take comfort from knowing he is contracted long-term, but the club will be aware that holding a player whose ambitions may lie elsewhere rarely ends well for either party.
As things stand, Parkhead insiders are confident Johnston remains committed, but this situation carries every sign of intensifying before the window closes.
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