It’s difficult to imagine Alistair Johnston leaving Celtic.
Brendan Rodgers has spoken about Celtic’s transfer model being largely based around selling players – but Johnston seems more future-proof.
Johnston has captained Celtic on occasion, growing into a leadership role under Rodgers. He is also a popular figure among Hoops fans.
His position in the Canadian national team also seems nailed on, making a move to a higher level far from a necessity.
So what more could he possibly want? When discussing his future, one former Premier League winger has spoken about Johnston’s options.
Kevin Kilbane could see Alistair Johnston moving to the Premier League
Kevin Kilbane made no secret of his affinity for Celtic during and after his playing career.
The left-winger, who earned over 100 caps for the Republic of Ireland, has spoken of how he was ‘desperate’ to play for Celtic in his playing days.
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But speaking on Johnston’s future on the Park the Bus podcast, Kilbane could see both sides, and admitted that he could see the Canadian making the move to England.
He said: “I know we’ve had a chat with Alistair Johnston, and when we asked the question around where he sees his future, it’s definitely a season like this where that could be done, if something comes around in January.
“You could see it happening. Whether it’s Forest, I could see him maybe somewhere like Everton or somewhere like that. We know the kind of coach that David Moyes is and we know that Alistair would bring that type of stability that Moyes would love in a full-back.
“So there’s a number of options you can see, but I personally hope he stays at Celtic, and plays for the biggest club in the world.”
Celtic fans will agree that they hope he stays – regardless of whether a move to England would make sense.
Celtic are not in a position to think about selling players
The recent ordeal surrounding Daizen Maeda’s request to leave Celtic has exposed the club’s lack of preparation for player departures this season.
Rodgers later revealed that Maeda had asked the club to leave in February, similarly to how Kyogo Furuhashi had requested in the autumn of 2024.
Regardless of whether this now means that Maeda’s exit will be facilitated in January, it emphasises the fact that Celtic can’t afford to think about departures of key players.
The recent transfer window and subsequent fallout stand as clear evidence that incomings should be prioritised over the coming months before any outgoings are considered.
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