Everton's Interest in Alistair Johnston Stalls
Everton’s pursuit of Alistair Johnston has stalled, not because of a lack of admiration, but because of cold, hard numbers.
The Premier League club opened talks with Celtic over the Canada international after David Moyes personally phoned Martin O’Neill to register Everton’s interest. The intention was clear: test Celtic’s resolve, then move quickly. The reality has been very different.
According to The Daily Record, Everton have now started to turn their attention elsewhere after failing to match Celtic’s valuation. The Scottish champions are understood to have wanted more than £15m for Johnston this summer and were in no rush to sell, especially before their Champions League play-off against LASK. Timing mattered. So did price. Everton came up short on both.
Celtic’s stance has been firm. Johnston is a starter, a reliable presence, and, crucially, a player they want on the pitch when the stakes are highest in Europe. Letting him go on the eve of such a tie was never going to be straightforward, even with Premier League money on the table.
Everton, for their part, know exactly where Johnston stands. He is believed to be keen on a move to England’s top flight, and the attraction of the Premier League is no secret. O’Neill has already sat down with the defender to address the situation head-on.
“I've spoken to him on the back of the interest,” O’Neill said. “Again, it was one of those where Alistair is perfectly happy here at the football club. But like anything else, your head can get turned very quickly, particularly if it's a really good club.
“He wouldn't leave here for a second-class Premier League club, if there is such a thing, but if a big, big club comes in, it's something you would have to look at. And I think it's only natural as well. If I were a player, I'd be exactly the same.”
Those words cut to the heart of the situation. Johnston is settled, but ambitious. Celtic are protective, but realistic. Everton are interested, but constrained.
With negotiations stuck, Everton have started to explore other avenues and are now reportedly looking at Strasbourg defender Guela Doue as an alternative. It’s a familiar transfer window pivot: when the asking price refuses to budge, the scouting list comes back out.
For now, Johnston remains in Glasgow, central to Celtic’s plans and locked into a club that values him highly. Everton’s move has not collapsed in a blaze of drama; it has simply faded under the weight of a fee Celtic will not compromise on and a timeline they refuse to rush.
The question now is whether a “big, big club” returns to test that resolve again – and what Johnston decides if they do.
