Well, the summer window closed just a few weeks back and it was arguably the worst one in the club's history. While the Celtic board might have expected the fans to be dissatisfied, they could not have foreseen the movement that would grow out of it. Since then, the Hoops have released an official statement and also talked about their transfer strategy in the financial results. But neither has managed to satisfy the supporters.
So, the last thing that Celtic should consider at the moment is parting ways with more of their first-team players. That being said, nothing would surprise us at this point after having seen Adam Idah's exit be sanctioned on deadline day and then no replacement being signed.
The latest Celtic player to be linked with an exit is Alistair Johnston. The Canadian international is out recovering from an injury at the moment but that has not stopped him from being linked with the likes of Everton and Nottingham Forest, where he would reunite with Ange Postecoglou.
Pete O'Rourke does not seem to believe that there is a high likelihood that Celtic would be open to the departure of Johnston considering the current circumstances. As reported by Football Insider, he said:
"The feelings are quite high over Celtic’s lack of ambition in the transfer market. So they won’t want to lose a key player like Alistair Johnston, he’s probably an integral part of the Celtic squad since joining.
“He’s under a long-term contract, he signed a new deal last year to keep him at Celtic until 2029 so, I don’t think Celtic will be entertaining any offers for him come January."
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Let's see what the future holds for Johnston. He has always maintained that he is happy with life at Celtic.
That being said, playing in the Premier League is an aim for many players. One would not be surprised if that is the case for Johnston as well. And if the right opportunity comes calling, he would certainly consider it.
At the moment though, Celtic cannot afford to see another starter leave. They simply cannot sanction Johnston's exit in January, that is for sure.
In the long run, perhaps that could change. But at first, they need to convince the fans about their ambition might make some quality signings. Otherwise, this dissatisfaction will grow from here. The reaction to the summer transfer window's failings have been unprecedented and the board would not want the situation to get any worse.