Celtic winger Mikey Johnston could be on the move, awaiting green light from club

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Celtic are keen to offload some fringe players this window as Brendan Rodgers aims to trim his squad before the transfer deadline.

Yosuke Ideguchi became the first to depart the club in January and has since joined up with Vissel Kobe on a permanent basis.

According to reports, Rodgers could also have an opportunity to part ways with Hoops defender Gustaf Lagerbielke this month, with Serie A side Lecce believed to be working on a loan deal for the Sweden international.

Despite this, any temporary exit would require Celtic to continue paying a large portion of his wages for the duration of any agreement.

Adam Montgomery and Hyeokkyu Kwon have been farmed out on a similar basis to Motherwell and St Mirren, which will provide them with a platform close to home where their performance level can be assessed.

Marco Tilio and Yuki Kobayashi could leave the club on loan before Thursday’s cut-off point. Benjamin Siegrist, James McCarthy and Alexandro Bernabei may join them in the departure lounge if appropriate interest comes to the surface.

Mikey Johnston could leave Celtic on loan this window

Previously, Stephen McGowan released a transfer report detailing that Mikey Johnston could be a late outgoing this window amid interest from Sky Bet Championship side West Bromwich Albion.

The Republic of Ireland international has gained acknowledgement from Hoops boss Rodgers for his raw talent; however, the 51-year-old also called for his winger to develop a higher level of ‘robustness’ in order to become a senior regular at Parkhead.

Now, Football Scotland understand that West Brom are awaiting the green light from the Hoops to allow Johnston out on loan and a deal could occur before the deadline on Thursday.

Working his way in from the periphery, the 24-year-old has made 12 appearances for Celtic across all competitions in 2023/24, registering two goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

Celtic’s Mikey Johnston needs first-team football to blossom

Sitting on the bench at Celtic isn’t going to do Johnston much good as he looks to deliver on the quality he has at his disposal, which has seen him become an important player for the Irish national team.

Of course, Nicolas Kuhn has also arrived at Parkhead this month and the former Germany Under-20 international could push his counterpart further down the pecking order in Glasgow.

First-team football has got to be the aim for Johnston at this stage of his career. Moving to the Hawthorns could benefit him and allow for Celtic to assess his long-term future at Parkhead.