Celtic’s got a whole squad out on loan, and they’re all gunning to catch Brendan Rodgers’ eye for a before a return to Parkhead this summer.
Rodgers, who’s all about running a tight ship, reckons 25 is the magic number for his squad. It meant a lot of players heading out in January to get game time.
Loan spells have turned out pretty well for Celtic, in the past, churning out stars like McGregor, Ajer, Christie and even Scales. But it’s Mikey Johnston’s turn in the spotlight, thanks to his cracking performance at West Brom.
The lad’s been on fire, scoring six in nine appearances, and showing a spark that’s been missing back home at Celtic.
When a loanee starts shining bright, you bet the host club’s fans start dreaming of keeping him for good.
Pundit Carlton Palmer, spilling the tea to Football League World, wasn’t shy about it, “I’m not surprised Celtic let him leave on loan, they have a lot of players at the football club, so some needed to get out to get game time, and this is what happens. You want a player to go out on loan, impress, which is what Mikey Johnston has done.” With Johnston tearing it up and West Brom chasing glory, Palmer’s betting on a full-time deal for the lad.
Palmer continued “Johnston is still under contract at Celtic, but it will be one of those at the end of the season where talks take place. I think West Brom should be looking to bring him to the club on a permanent basis.
“He’s become a fan favourite, and with Shilen Patel having taken over, hopefully in the summer, the manager will be afforded funds to bring in players to make sure West Brom can be in and around the automatic promotion places next season, should they not go up this season. And, one of those players the fans would certainly like to see at the football club is Johnston.”
Johnston’s stint away from Celtic could be a stroke of genius. If he keeps tearing up the pitch in a West Brom jersey, Celtic’s either bagging a hefty sum or welcoming back a much more confident player. Either way, Celtic’s laughing all the way to the summer transfer window. It’s shaping up to be an interesting sub plot this summer.
Mikey should continue his career down south, he is away from the Glasgow pressure and doing well.
Best of luck to the lad.