The summer transfer window is almost officially open for business and Celtic could be set for a busy few months of incoming and outgoing business.
Whilst supporters may want to focus on who the Hoops will be bringing in to Parkhead, amid reported interest in the likes of Adam Idah and Stuart Armstrong, there will also be players who move on from the club.
One player who could depart from Paradise on a permanent basis this summer is winger Mikey Johnston after his fruitful loan spell with West Bromwich Albion during the second half of last season.
However, Celtic must be wary of repeating the mistake they made with Ryan Christie, who they sold to a Championship team before watching him flourish and develop further in England.
Celtic name their price for Mikey Johnston
According to Football Insider, the Hoops are looking for a fee within the region of £6m in order to allow the Ireland international to leave this summer.
The report claims that West Brom are exploring a deal to bring him back to the Hawthorns, whether that is on loan or on a permanent transfer, before the end of the window.
It states that the Baggies are set to sell some of their current first-team players in order to raise funds, which means that the Bhoys could have to wait for that to take place before the English side decide to come in with an offer to sign Johnston, who was dubbed "special" by Carlos Corberan.
Brendan Rodgers must now be wary of the winger becoming Christie 2.0 as the Scottish whiz left Celtic to join Bournemouth for just £2.5m in the summer of 2021, when they were in the Championship.
The 29-year-old, who has started 57 Premier League games since the start of last season, is now valued at roughly £10m by Transfermarkt, which shows that his value has soared since leaving Parkhead.
Why Celtic should keep hold of Mikey Johnston
Instead of cashing in on him amid interest from a Championship side, Rodgers should look to reintegrate him into the first-team at Parkhead and look to unleash his quality in the Scottish Premiership, in order to raise his value and maximise any potential sale.
The Hoops seemingly missed out on a bigger payday with Christie, as his value shot up after they sold him for just £2.5m, and that could happen with Johnston if they allow him to leave for £6m this summer.
That is because the 25-year-old star, who was once hailed as a "throwback" winger by Joe Hart, showcased his impressive attacking quality in the Championship this season.
Appearances
18
xG
3.01
Goals
7
xA
2.01
Big chances created
4
Assists
1
As you can see in the table above, Johnston was an exceptional finisher as he outperformed his xG by around four goals and was let down by his teammates as they only scored one goal from the four 'big chances' that he provided them with.
The 5 foot 9 wizard ranked within the top 1% of Championship attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.54), which shows that the forward was one of the best goalscorers in his position.
Rodgers lining up bargain Celtic swoop for "smooth" O'Riley partner
The Hoops are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the central midfielder this summer.
ByDan Emery
Therefore, Celtic should now look to help him translate that form over to the Premiership so that he can become a star for Rodgers and increase his value further, to make them even more money in the future.
