Everton’s Johnston pursuit not as advanced as reports suggest

Everton’s interest in Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston is genuine, but a deal is not as close as some reports have claimed, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill confirmed contact from Everton in his pre-match press conference ahead of Celtic’s Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee.

He said David Moyes had called him the previous week to say contact would follow, though he wasn’t sure how far talks had progressed, if at all.

O’Neill was speaking more broadly about interest in his squad, including West Ham’s reported bid for Arne Engels, which he said fell well short of Celtic’s valuation.

He added that keeping hold of players attracting Premier League interest was becoming increasingly difficult.

The Daily Record has since reported Johnston is close to a £15m move, with the player keen on the switch and Celtic resigned to losing him.

But Everton’s package is understood to be around £12m up front plus add-ons, below what Celtic are asking, and the Echo says there remains significant work to do before any deal is finalised.

Moyes has identified Johnston as a possible fix for Everton’s long-standing right-back problem, but used Jake O’Brien in the position for Saturday’s 2-1 win over Hamburg, with Nathan Patterson the only recognised senior option otherwise.