As an Evertonian, born and bred, I am still proud of the fact that I have lived most of my life in Canada. Tomasz Radzinski remains the only Canadian international to play for the Everton men’s senior team, scoring 21 goals in 91 league appearances between 2001 and 2004. Now, that might change as Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston has recently been heavily linked with a £15 million transfer to the club.
Profile & Background
The 27-year-old Alistair Johnston (turns 28 in October) transformed from an unheralded college
midfielder into one of North America’s most dependable and decorated defensive anchors. Born in Vancouver in 1998 and raised in Montreal and Vaughan, his early sports life was split between soccer and ice hockey. He began his university soccer career as a goal-scoring central midfielder at St. John’s University before transferring to Wake Forest University in the U.S.. It was there that a career-altering tactical switch permanently shifted him to right-back..
His professional breakthrough came quickly when Nashville SC selected him 11th overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. Johnston immediately established himself as a vital piece of a top-tier Major League Soccer defense, logging 44 appearances before moving to CF Montréal in 2022 for $1 million. In Montreal, he enjoyed his most statistically productive domestic season by scoring four goals in 33 games, an impressive campaign that caught the attention of European scouts.
In January 2023, Johnston completed a £3 million move to Celtic FC, where his career reached new heights. He became an instant fan favorite and an irreplaceable fixture in the starting eleven, later extending his contract with the club through 2029. During his highly successful tenure in Glasgow, Johnston has secured nine major trophies, including four consecutive Scottish Premiership titles, three Scottish Cups, and two Scottish League Cups, while also establishing himself as a reliable performer in the UEFA Champions League.
On the international stage, Johnston has earned 63 senior caps for Canada since making his debut in March 2021. He has anchored the national team’s backline through their most historic modern era, starting every single match at both the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2026 World Cup, where he was named to the tournament’s group stage best XI. He also played every single minute of Canada’s historic semifinal run at the 2024 Copa América, cementing his reputation as an elite, big-game defender.
Injury Concerns
Alistair Johnston’s 2025–26 campaign with Celtic was severely disrupted by a recurring right hamstring injury that limited him to just 11 total club appearances. The trouble began in August when he suffered an initial hamstring strain during a Champions League qualifier against FC Kairat, which sidelined him for two months. Although he briefly returned to league action in early October, he aggravated and tore the same muscle just 23 minutes into a UEFA Europa League match against Sturm Graz on October 23rd. This severe tear required hamstring repair surgery in November, forcing Johnston into a rehabilitation program that ruled him out of Canada’s autumn international fixtures.
His recovery extension faced another hurdle in late March when, after travelling to train with the Canadian national team to build match fitness, he suffered a setback on his final day of camp. This complication delayed his club return by several weeks, but Johnston finally made his competitive comeback for Celtic on April 24, with an 18-minute cameo off the bench against Falkirk. He safely navigated the remaining weeks of the domestic season to prove his baseline fitness, ultimately allowing him to start every single minute of Canada’s five matches during their deep run at the World Cup.
Analysis
For the purposes of this analysis, a look at the 2024/2025 season gives us the last full season and is the most up to date data that illustrates what Johnston offers Everton.
During the 2024/25 campaign, Alistair Johnston functioned far more like an advanced central playmaker than a traditional full-back. Operating as a primary buildup outlet for Celtic on the right flank, he averaged a high-volume 75.94 passes per game to bypass opposing midfield lines. He continually unlocked stubborn low-block defenses by delivering 1.68 key passes each match, relying on aggressive low crosses and precise diagonal balls into the half-spaces. Ultimately, his exceptional creative output was reflected in an elite Expected Assists (xA) rating of 0.42 per 90 minutes—a metric that placed him in the top 2% of the league and directly yielded 10 assists across his 32 domestic appearances.
In the possession phase, Johnston excelled at driving Celtic up the pitch by executing 14.53 progressive actions per 90 minutes, a rate that ranked him second among all Premiership full-backs. His notable efficiency was further highlighted by a metric of 21.07 forward passes per 90 minutes, which placed him seventh among all full-backs in world football. By combining this immense progressive volume with an impressive 86.98% domestic passing accuracy, he managed to minimize dangerous turnovers in midfield. This secure distribution allowed him to successfully penetrate the final third 9.22 times per 90 minutes, consistently isolating his wingers into highly favorable 1v1 situations.
While his domestic responsibilities required constant overlapping, Johnston’s defensive traits and high-line resilience shone brightest when tested against elite opposition on the European stage. He started all 10 of Celtic’s UEFA Champions League matches, raising his passing accuracy to an elite 90.00% under intense continental pressure. Facing premium wingers, he demonstrated strong positional restraint and recorded 7 successful tackles to anchor the right side of the defense. His disciplined performances were vital in helping the backline secure 3 clean sheets during that European run, proving he could balance world-class creative output with robust defensive reliability.
All data from FBref, WhoScored, and FotMob.
Current Value and Contract
Alistair Johnston’s transfer market valuation on Transfer Market stands at €8.00 million (approximately £6.80 million), though his real-world price tag is significantly higher. In the current negotiations, Everton have submitted an opening bid of £12 million plus add-ons, while Celtic values the right-back closer to £15 million to £20 million.
Johnston currently earns a base salary of £20,000 to £25,000 per week at Celtic, translating to an annual income of approximately £1.04 million to £1.30 million. This current wage represents a substantial pay bump from a long-term contract extension keeping him at Parkhead until summer 2029.
If the transfer happens, it is expected that the Canadian would be doubling or tripling his salary. Obviously, there is only speculation over where this would leave us in the squad cost ratio (SCR). What can be said is that the importance of getting the deal done will probably have the greatest impact on the squad’s balance and competetiveness.
Potential of Transfer
Chances of it happening: 90%
Do I want it to happen: 100%
Do we need it to happen: 100%
Everton’s right-back crisis since Séamus Coleman began aging has been defined by a multi-year failure to secure a long-term successor, forcing the club to rely on an endless cycle of injuries, stopgap veterans, and central defenders being played out of position.
The club initially signed Scottish international Nathan Patterson for £10 million from Rangers in 2022 to be the designated heir, but persistent fitness problems and inconsistent form prevented him from cementing the role. Financial constraints and high player valuations further crippled recruitment, causing the club to miss out on over 15 rumored transfer targets—including Denzel Dumfries and Max Aarons—over a five-year period.With Coleman fighting chronic injuries and eventually leaving the club at the end of his contract, managers were forced into desperate tactical compromises.
Managers repeatedly leaned on aging veteran Ashley Young or converted center-back Ben Godfrey, while later being forced to deploy central defender Jake O’Brien and midfielder James Garner completely out of position. This lack of a natural, fit right-back severely limited Everton’s attacking width and overlapping threat, leaving the squad completely short of any attacking threat down the right side for several years.
My hope is that this latest attempt to fill the boots of Seamus Coleman is not another false dawn. Johnston is exactly what the club needs to finally balance our attack and allow Jake O’Brien to take his rightful place next to Jarrad Branthwaite in the centre of our back line. Johnston reminds me a lot of Seamus and, of course, he is Canadian which is a similar type of combativeness as the boy from Sligo Rovers.
David and the recruitment team, get it done!
