Chris Sutton has defended Celtic's firm stance over Alistair Johnston amid news Everton are not willing to meet the club's asking price. Johnston has attracted strong interest from the Toffees this summer having enjoyed a fine end to last season and then an impressive World Cup with Canada.
Johnston is a highly reliable right-back who is also able to get forward, and such players can be hard to find. Interest from down South is not a surprise, but Celtic are losing other players this summer, and they are not willing to lose the Canadian on the cheap.
Johnston is under contract until 2029, and even if he wants to go, Celtic have the leverage and are reportedly asking for somewhere between £20million and £25million, though the asking price has not been confirmed at this stage.
What we do know is that Everton have offered a package worth around £14million, which was swiftly rejected, leading to reports that their interest has cooled. Celtic are particularly unwilling to do business before their Champions League qualifiers on August 18 and 25, knowing they will likely be unable to replace Johnston in time for those games.
Sutton defends Celtic stance
Former Celtic striker Sutton has been begging for the Hoops to set a big asking price for Johnston, who certainly justifies a bigger price than £14million in the current market.
Speaking to the Daily Record amid talk of Everton's interest cooling, Sutton said: "So I hear Everton have backed off Alistair Johnston because they won't meet Celtic's asking price. Good. If that's the case then Celtic should stand their ground because, for me, Johnston is worth a minimum of £25million.
"Would Johnston have fancied the move to the Premier League? I don’t know, possibly. But that doesn't mean Celtic have to roll over.
"Johnston has three years left on his contract. Celtic are perfectly entitled to say: 'No, that's not enough.'
"Johnston had an excellent World Cup. He has improved as a player. He’s under contract until 2029. So why should Celtic be accepting less? For me, £25m is fair."
To reiterate, it is unclear how much Celtic asked for to sell Johnston, but it would be a surprise if they did not ask for at least £20million, especially ahead of those play-off games, which will be worth more to them than the £14million Everton are offering should they end up qualifying. Qualifying is going to be a much trickier prospect without Johnston, especially with the gaps elsewhere.
Add us as a preferred source on Google