Everton have received a boost in their pursuit of a Celtic defender, with the player himself said to be pushing for a Merseyside move.
Alistair Johnston played the full 90 minutes as Celtic opened their Premiership title defence against Dundee on Monday night, and according to The Bobble, Everton had representatives at the game to watch him.
That hasn’t been confirmed elsewhere, but it fits a pursuit that’s been building for over a week — one Martin O’Neill has already confirmed, revealing David Moyes called him personally to flag Everton’s interest.
The Bobble’s post adds that Johnston has made his preference clear: he wants the move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to happen.
It’s a stance Sky Sports Scotland’s coverage backed up. James McFadden, working alongside Kris Boyd, said he could see why Moyes rates the 27-year-old so highly — praising his output at both ends of the pitch — while cautioning that Celtic shouldn’t sell without a ready-made replacement lined up.
Celtic are said to value Johnston at closer to £14-15m, well above Everton’s opening numbers, and O’Neill has stressed there’s no obligation to sell a player with three years left on his contract.
A right-back has been Moyes’ clearest priority all summer, with Jake O’Brien and Merlin Rohl deputising there in pre-season.
Everton’s business elsewhere is tracked in full on our live transfer tracker.
Comments.
Loading comments…