Everton contact Celtic over availability of defender Alistair Johnston, says Martin O’Neill

Everton have contacted Celtic over the availability of Canada international right-back Alistair Johnston, according to the Scottish Premiership club’s manager, Martin O’Neill.

The departure of long-term captain and stalwart Seamus Coleman, plus uncertainty over the future of Scotland’s Nathan Patterson, means the Merseyside club are looking to sign a new right-back this summer. They have considered a number of options, including Strasbourg’s Guela Doue, but the search has now led to them approaching Celtic over Johnston, 27.

In a press conference ahead of the Scottish champions’ league opener against Dundee on Monday, O’Neill confirmed Everton manager David Moyes had been in touch “last week” over a potential move for the Canadian.

Sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, insist a firm bid is yet to materialise, with Everton still assessing other options in the right-back position.

“Everton have been in contact and I’m not sure whether there’s been a bid in there for that one, but they’ve been in contact saying that they would be,” O’Neill said in a press conference ahead of Celtic’s Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee on Monday.

“In fairness, David did call me last week and saying that there would be contact. But I don’t know how far that has progressed, if it has at all.

“That would be disappointing, obviously. But I suppose it’s to be expected, you know, players who have done well.”

Johnston, who counts CF Montreal and Nashville among his former clubs, has won the Scottish Premiership four times since joining in 2023. He has made 85 league appearances for the Glasgow-based outfit, scoring six times and registering 13 assists.

A 63-cap Canada international, he returned from a hamstring injury, which restricted him to 11 club appearances last season, to shine for his country at the World Cup, and was named in the team of the group stage.

Johnston is an experienced Canada international (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

O’Neill also confirmed interest from Championship side West Ham United in midfielder Arne Engels, but added the clubs remain far apart in their respective valuations of the Belgian.

“I think there’s been something (a bid) put in but it doesn’t remotely meet our valuation for a start. And you know that we turned down a big offer January from Nottingham Forest.

“It came in at the very last minute, so we couldn’t do anything. Arne was alright with it, you know. But it’s difficult to stop people if their ambition is to play in a big, big league.

“West Ham have been relegated, but obviously enhanced their financial situation. Those things are difficult, you know. Our job is to try and keep them, try and do our best to keep them. If that’s not possible, then naturally we’ll have to try and get replacements in.”

A big area of need for Everton

Analysis by Everton correspondent Patrick Boyland

Let’s start with the obvious: Everton urgently need a right-back. They spent much of last season with central defender Jake O’Brien playing out of position on that side and have used midfielder Merlin Rohl at right-back in pre-season games this summer. The pair have coped admirably, but neither should be a long-term option there.

So news of an approach, as tentative as it may be, for Johnston, will no doubt be greeted positively by fans of the Merseyside club. The Canadian is a natural right-back, in what should be his peak years, and comes with solid pedigree, having featured both in the Champions League and at the highest level of the international game.

Decent defensively but capable of joining the attack, he would give Everton a new dimension on the right flank, should they decide to pursue a move. This is a team largely starved of width, potentially on that side of the pitch.

There is still much work to do to compete a deal. Any deal. But Everton’s right-back search finally appears to be gathering pace.