Last Wednesday, along with Stephen McGowan of the Herald, Michael Gannon revealed details of interest in Alistair Johnston from Everton.
A fee of £10m was quoted by the Daily Record reporter.
Stage 1 completed, getting the message out there alongside the sort of lowball offer that Celtic specialises in..
Pauses it for a few days. Let supporters absorb it and slip out news of bids coming in for Arne Engels.
Next up, a higher price tag is mentioned to show Celtic’s strong negotiating position. Still way below Johnston’s £20m market value.
On Sunday night Gannon delivered Stage 2:
But boss Martin O’Neill is resigned to losing key men Engels and Johnston in the next few days.
Record Sport understands Johnston is close to sealing a move to Everton in a deal worth up to £15m.
The Canada star has told Celts he is keen on the switch to the Premier League outfit but the clubs are still in negotiations.
It’s understood the Toffees are offering a package of around £12m up front plus add-ons, but the Hoops want more.
We know exactly what ‘Record Sport understands’ translates to.
Gannon was the senior member of the Alburfeira 4. Taken along to show his colleague Ryan McDonald the ropes.
HOW CELTIC CONTROL THE LEGACY MEDIA MESSAGING
The Four Lads were given more than a week’s worth of interviews with Celtic players. But not Engels or Callum McGregor.
They had a few matey ‘sit-downs’ with Martin O’Neill as well as at least one night on the razzle with the Celtic boss.
O’Neill enjoyed it so much that he mentioned it twice following Celtic’s pre-season friendly with Middleborough.
His younger audience roared with laughter. O’Neill had street cred with his newer, younger, nodding audience.
Since the Algarve trip the messengers have been on a news drip out of Celtic. They find out first. They loyally relay the message.
No questions are asked. No one questions what the strategy or plan is. They must remain in the loop.
By next week Michael Nicholson will almost have demolished the Celtic squad.
You won’t read any criticism of the Celtic CEO in the Daily Record. They absolutely won’t mention his £17,000 a week salary.
Celtic last won a Champions League match in January 2025, YB Bern were the opponents.
Nicholson has already sold off Kyogo, Kuhn, Idah and Maeda. Next up the plan is Johnston and Engels.
Under the so-called leading sports lawyer Celtic are certainly a club like no other.
NOTE: On Sunday’s Record Hotline Live podcast Keith Jackson and Daniel Caw discussed Gannon unfurling the SPFL flag tonight. He has certainly done his bit all summer long.
Why do you sound surprised at this? This is the clubs MO. Buy players keep them for 2-3 years then sell them for much more. Johnston and Engels are in that cycle. The issue recently has been NOT replacing players that have been sold with similar quality, but that doesn’t seem to be the case so far although only time will tell. But no one should be surprised that they 2 will be sold, or raging about it
Editor: This isn’t an ‘issue recently’. It has been the Celtic way since October 2003. They get lucky with a few signings and are left with the dross projects stuck on five year contracts.
Only when Alistair Johnston replaced Josip Juranovic in January 2023 has the club successfully prepared for a transfer.
I’m not raging, just highlighting the utter failure of £17,000 a week Nicholson as he drives Celtic down alongside his beloved O** F*** business partners.
Well said editor
If player wants move on 2 treble wages what would you do
Editor: Have a replacement in the building or lined up. That is what competent clubs do.
So buy someone,then say deal doesn’t go through,2 unhappy playets
Even the Management of the Laptop Loyal Lapdogs of the SMSM from Celtic is amateur. They brief who they think are their friends and request them to drip feed the info to show Celtics incompetent management in a better light. I expect it probably lands with the happy clappers. The Celtic Managements ineptitude knows no bounds.
Celtic will sell Johnson, Engels and probably Nygrren in addition to Hatate being ushered out the door and then they will scramble for replacements at their defined maximum cost of 20% of incomings. Twas forever been thus…. 🙁
Reason 1 : more money in the EPL
Reason 2 : the suits at Celtic, who would wanna hang around a club as toxic as ours where those in charge place no value on you other than pounds sterling?
Same every season flog off the better players replace them with inferior one’s on 5 yr contracts and only bring in new players when you’ve sold one first , drag out the transfers so as to shorten the window even more seeing as only one person deals with transfers
oh and fk the support over again and again as the st money is already in the bank
finally put the doddering old board puppet out in front of the camera to claim , we tried , it’s hard getting players this time of year , agents are bad or i’m happy with this squad
when you look back at the players Ange signed and the money we have brought in for them . compared to the dross we have left now ,there won’t be many big money moves from now on the club has went backward , no ambition as always ,,,,,not worth the season ticket money
If players want move on what’s your problem
Problem is the players are under contract so are our players unless we let them go. The board are incompetent parasites and will let them go and not bring players of equal ability in to replace the ones they sell, thus weakening the team. It’s simple, if your a builder and your brickie leaves you don’t replace him/her with a labourer (no offence to labourers everywhere).
Johnston shouldn’t be sold when we have champions league qualifiers to play, Ralston and Donovan simply are not good enough at that level. If the player wants to go then we set the price, and it’s certainly more than Everton paid for a youth team player from Glasgow, anything less than £20 million is non negotiable. They are selling players with little to no first team experience for £40 million plus down south, we must hold firm.
Send these players on a rickety and arduous bus on trips to play Wick Academy with the Under 16’s or down to play Threave Rovers…
That’ll make them sick – Both mentally and physically !