How much Everton are set to pay for Alistair Johnston as Celtic braced for approach

Everton are ready to firm up their interest in Celtic defender Alistair Johnston.

The Toffees have enjoyed a relatively quiet summer transfer window so far, with only three signings made.

Of course, two of them, Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George, are already well-known to Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Hayden Hackney remaining the headline acquisition so far.

However, Everton could be set to change that, with Canadian international Johnston seemingly David Moyes' priority target to bolster his right-back position.

It's an area that has been bothering Everton for some time now, and has undoubtedly contributed to the team being unable to crack the European places in the Premier League.

But, Toffees chiefs finally seem ready to make a big push for the player they believe can fix this issue going forward.

Everton prepared to pay sizeable fee for Alistair Johnston

Goodison News has urged Everton to sign Johnston this summer due to his Celtic and World Cup numbers being excellent.

The 27-year-old was one of the top-performing right-backs at the World Cup statistically, and has been starring in Scotland since his move to Glasgow in January 2023.

Given his lack of Premier League experience, Johnston would be a gamble for Everton to take, but it's one they appear willing to do so.

As per a report from the Daily Record on Wednesday, Celtic are preparing themselves to receive a significant offer from Everton for Johnston.

It's claimed that whilst no official bid is on the table yet, the player is aware of the interest from Merseyside and an approach is being prepared.

They claim that Moyes has continuously been tracking Johnston, and that Everton could be willing to pay over £10million to secure his signature.

Johnston is said to be aware of the interest in him from Moyes and Everton.

The report states that whilst Everton are at the front of the queue, their is rival interest from the likes of Fulham and Ipswich Town as well.

So, this would obviously mark a sizeable investment by Everton, but why is Johnston possibly primed to play his best football in 2026-27?

Why Everton would be signing uber-fresh Johnston

Since joining Celtic, Johnston has largely been able to keep himself fully fit, but that changed in 2025-26.

He would only play 11 times in all competitions last term, having suffered a knee injury in October 2025 that sidelined him until late April this year.

Some may view this as a red flag, but given his performances at the World Cup, Johnston looks every bit of a player who is raring to go again next term.

As such, there's a good chance he could hit the ground running with Everton, which is precisely what Moyes will be looking for.