What Alistair Johnston will have been told as defender could triple wages at Everton
Alistair Johnston may be looking to make a move to Everton from Celtic this transfer window.
The right-back is being heavily linked with a move to the Toffees as David Moyes looks for defensive reinforcements.
Interest in the Canada international is heating up from the Blues and developments around his situation will be worth watching closely.
Johnston was impressive during the 2026 World Cup, and Celtic must surely have expected the likes of Everton to make a move for him.
The 27-year-old has gone from strength to strength over the last few years at Parkhead, establishing himself as one of the best.
With the Merseyside outfit now in for the former Montreal star, he could potentially have one thing on his mind.
Why Celtic may have no choice after Alistair Johnston and Everton transfer news
Celtic are one of the most recognisable teams around the world, but what they don't have is a league that can be considered the best.
Goodison News have covered updates around Johnston's possible move to Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Moyes already holding talks for him.
A move to Scotland would have definitely been seen as a stepping stone by the Canadian defender, who now has an opportunity to move to the Premier League.
Reliable Scottish journalist Roger Hannah believes the right-back must have been told that doing well at Celtic would help his career progress.
Johnston will also surely be in for a significant financial package if he does move down south.
Martin O'Neill has already hinted that the Hoops expected to receive bids for the right-back after his displays in North America.
Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard on 1 August, Hannah said, "He will have been told when he came to Scottish football, if you do well here, this is a stepping stone and you can go into far greater riches in his career. He'll triple his money, whether it's Everton, Fulham or wherever he goes.
"O'Neill said it yesterday, watching Johnston in the World Cup and the way he performed for Canada, you would be naive to think Celtic weren't going to get bids for the player. And you would be naive to think it wasn't on the player's mind to think to go and take the next step in his career."
David Moyes to breathe sigh of relief on one transfer necessity after pre-season
One of the top priorities for Everton going into next season should have been making defensive reinforcements.
Moyes relied on Jake O'Brien and Vitalii Mykolenko as his first-choice full-backs during the 2025-26 campaign, but the Toffees definitely need more options in those positions.
Johnston would undoubtedly solve the Scottish manager's issues at right-back.
On the left, Mykolenko recently signed a new contract at Hill Dickinson Stadium, while Adam Aznou has put in some encouraging displays during pre-season.
The Moroccan youngster has shown Moyes has something to work with after showing flair and confidence during the friendlies.
Concerns over the left-back spot should subside in L3 for now.