Celtic have been warned against selling a standout World Cup star this summer. The Bhoys have an interesting summer ahead as they look to strengthen significantly to help Martin O'Neill get off to a flyer in the new season.
But there are also going to be exits this summer, with Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels both expected to leave, while Reo Hatate is also said to be keen on an exit. Celtic are going to have to replace those players, and outside of those players, the Hoops are going to have to be careful who they lose.
Sutton's Johnston warning
Another player who could be of interest to other clubs is right-back Alistair Johnston, who is coming off the back of a consistent end to the club season. He has continued his good form for his nation this summer, already playing twice for Canada at this World Cup, including in the rout of Qatar this week.
As clubs begin to cast an eye, Sutton said to RecordSport: "It would be unthinkable to allow Johnston to go this summer.
“There are going to be a lot of players leaving. I’d expect Maeda and Hatate to go and it’s hard to see Engels remaining with talk of Nottingham Forest coming back in and Crystal Palace also interested.
“That is a lot of key players going out the building, so there’s no way they can also sell Johnston at this stage – regardless the price. There is already a huge job required to get this squad ready for the domestic campaign but, importantly, the Champions League qualifier.
“Celtic will need to bring players in but they’ll also need to keep hold of their experienced campaigners.”
Johnston struggled with injury this season, missing much of the campaign through a serious hamstring issue. The full-back returned for the back-end of the season and played regularly in the final title run-in.
Johnston will be looking forward to what will hopefully be a full season of fitness next term, and Celtic will likely keep him firmly off the table when it comes to transfers this summer. The right-back will be an important player under Martin O'Neill, and he is tied down to a contract until 2029.
With the other likely Celtic exits this summer, the Bhoys should be financially secure to the point where they can reject all other offers for important squad players, and they should, given the work they will already have to do to replace the three mentioned players.
Add us as a preferred source on Google