Celtic Prepare for Alistair Johnston's Potential Premier League Move

Celtic are bracing themselves for the departure of Alistair Johnston after a Premier League club lodged a formal offer that could eventually rise to £15 million for the Canadian defender.

According to the Daily Record, the English side have tabled an opening bid of £12m plus add-ons for the right-back, with performance-related clauses potentially pushing the total package towards that £15m mark. With three years still remaining on his Parkhead contract, Celtic hold a strong negotiating position and are using it.

They are doing exactly what you would expect a club in their position to do: push back.

The Scottish champions are understood to be holding out for an improved proposal, even as the transfer gathers pace and the likelihood of Johnston moving on this summer grows. Talks are described as advanced enough that a deal is expected to be “thrashed out,” but not so close that Celtic are prepared to drop their valuation.

Johnston’s own stance is clear. The 25-year-old is believed to be keen on a switch to the Premier League and has made that known to club officials during the window. For a player who has impressed domestically and in Europe, the lure of England’s top flight is obvious. The question now is not whether he wants the move, but whether the numbers will satisfy Celtic.

Manager Martin O'Neill has already spoken with the defender in the wake of the growing interest, including from Everton, and laid bare the tension every ambitious club faces when one of their key players attracts serious attention.

"I've spoken to him on the back of the interest," O'Neill said when asked about Everton’s pursuit. "Again, it was one of those where Alistair is perfectly happy here at the football club.

"But like anything else, your head can get turned very quickly, particularly if it's a really good club.

"He wouldn't leave here for a second-class Premier League club, if there is such a thing, but if a big, big club comes in, it's something you would have to look at. And I think it's only natural as well. If I were a player, I'd be exactly the same."

Those words cut to the heart of the situation. Celtic want to keep a settled, influential defender. Johnston wants to test himself at the highest level. The Premier League suitor believe they have found value. The gap between those positions is now measured in a few million pounds and the resolve of the Parkhead hierarchy.

For Celtic, the next move is crucial. Do they squeeze every last penny from a sale that looks increasingly inevitable, or dig in and risk unsettling a player whose head, by his manager’s own admission, may already be turning?