Celtic have over a month left in the summer transfer window to do any business that they want to do to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ squad for next season.
A new goalkeeper appears to be on the horizon for the Hoops as veteran shot-stopper Kasper Schmeichel is reportedly set to undergo a medical this week ahead of joining on a free transfer.
The 37-year-old titan is poised to arrive as Joe Hart’s replacement between the sticks to provide experience and, hopefully, quality on the pitch.
Celtic are also said to be in the market to add a new defender to the group and The Daily Record have claimed that the club have made an approach to sign versatile Burnley ace Dara O’Shea.
The Hoops, though, already have a fantastic right-back option – in Alistair Johnston – who they have hit the jackpot with since his arrival at Parkhead.
How much Celtic paid for Alistair Johnston
Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou brought the full-back in from MLS outfit CF Montreal for a reported fee of £3.5m in his last transfer window at the club in January of last year.
The Canada international did not need much time to settle as he immediately became the first-choice right-back option for the Australian head coach during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
| 22/23 Premiership | Alistair Johnston |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 14 |
| Starts | 14 |
| Duel success rate | 52% |
| Big chances created | 5 |
| Key passes | 17 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As you can see in the table above, he started all of his appearances in the Scottish Premiership and showcased his attacking quality down the right flank.
Johnston, who was lauded as “brilliant” by Canada assistant Ewan Sharp, followed that up with 32 starts, with zero outings as a substitute, as he helped the Hoops to win another league title last season – lifting two in his first 18 months at the club.
Alistair Johnston’s soaring market value
At the time of writing (15/07/2024), Transfermarkt has his market value at a whopping €8.5m (£7.3m) and that is significantly higher than the £3.5m the club splashed out on him less than two years ago.
This shows that the Hoops hit the jackpot with the Canadian dynamo as his value has skyrocketed off the pitch alongside his fantastic performances on it, which shows that he has become a valuable asset for the club who they could potentially sell for a profit in the future.
Meanwhile, reported target O’Shea, who can play at right-back or centre-back, is currently valued at €7m (£6m) by Transfermarkt, which is less than Johnston is currently worth.
| 23/24 season | Dara O’Shea (Premier League) | Alistair Johnston (Premiership) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 33 | 32 |
| Big chances created | 3 | 11 |
| Assists | 4 | 5 |
| Tackles won per game | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Duel success rate | 60% | 58% |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As you can see in the table above, the current Celtic star appears to offer far more from a creative perspective, whilst they are not too dissimilar in their actions defensively.
However, O’Shea is often deployed as a central defender, rather than a right-back, and that would explain why he does not provide as much in the way of chance creation.
This also means that Celtic could sign the Ireland international without there being any threat to Johnston’s position, and they could – in fact – thrive alongside each other on the right side of Rodgers’ defence.
