Celtic icon Chris Sutton believes his old side shouldn’t be entertaining the possibility of losing defender Alistair Johnston - who has become the subject of transfer interest from Premier League giants Everton.
The 27-year old has been a key man at right back for the Hoops since signing from Montreal in 2023 - and after a successful World Cup with his native Canada he’s become a sought after figure. He missed the majority of last season through a recurring hamstring issues as Celtic instead signed Bournemouth’s Julian Araujo on loan. Also potentially heading for the exit door is midfielder Arne Engels - who West Ham United are pursuing.
With last season’s Hoops talisman Daizen Maeda having already completed his move south of the border, Sutton is worried if Celtic can afford to let other follow suit, especially with some crucial upcoming fixtures both domestically and in Europe. Japan international Maeda transferred to Premier League new boys Ipswich Town for around £10m last week.
Johnston has won nine major honours with Celtic.placeholder image
Johnston has won nine major honours with Celtic. | Getty Images
Celtic ‘can’t afford’ to lose Johnston
The Hoops were four minutes away from losing the title last season with key figures like Johnston sidelined for large portions. Sutton thinks to avoid anymore potential scares they must do everything in their power to hold onto the Canadian and that he shouldn’t be sold before their Champions League play-off. He said via the Daily Record: “Alistair Johnston was huge for Celtic in the run-in last season.
“Everton have made a move, but Celtic simply can’t afford to lose him right now. I got some flak for saying they should have held off selling Daizen Maeda until after the Champions League play-off, but I stick by it. The same goes for Johnston. He’s a massive player on the pitch and a leader in the dressing room. The Premier League doesn’t kick off until August 22, which is after the play-off first leg.”
“Celtic shouldn’t be answering the phone until after then, because how the heck would you replace someone like Johnston for the biggest game of the season? You can’t. We saw last season when Celtic drafted in Julian Araujo from Bournemouth. That was a player who was on EPL money and had played at a high level – but he was still short of the standards set by Johnston.”
Celtic lost out to Kairat on penalties after the tie finished 0-0 on aggregate.placeholder image
Celtic lost out to Kairat on penalties after the tie finished 0-0 on aggregate. | Getty Images
Sutton believes Celtic’s lack of European ambition is worrying
Celtic lost out to Kazakhstan minnows Kairat Almaty last season in the Champions League qualifiers. A repeat of this would be catastrophic for manager Martin O’Neill and no doubt will lead to further frustrations from the fans towards the club’s hierarchy. Sutton continued: “Celtic don’t seem in a hurry to sell (Johnston) at all – and that is a positive – because there are already a lot of questions going into the new campaign and the European qualifier is now just over two weeks away.
“We still don’t really know how Celtic will line up – or who will be in the team. That’s got to be a concern for Martin O’Neill at this stage. I know the transfer market can be difficult, but they should have been attacking it ferociously to get ready for the challenge. No-one should dismiss the calibre of the opposition given what happened against Kairat Almaty 12 months ago.”
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