Daily Record writer Mark Guidi feels that Mikey Johnston must move away from Celtic.
The journalist was speaking on the Go Radio Football Show amid reports linking the winger with a loan move to Standard Liege in Belgium, who are coached by former Hoops manager Ronny Deila.
The Scottish Sun has claimed that Ange Postecoglou would be willing to let the 23-year-old go after making just one Scottish Premiership appearance since Boxing Day.
There is also thought to be interest from down south among English Championship and League One sides, while several top-flight sides in the SPFL ‘would be keen’ on the winger.
Having fallen down the pecking order at Parkhead, with Jota, Liel Abada, Daizen Maeda and James Forrest all in front of him, Guidi believes it would be best if he sought a regular run of games elsewhere.
He said: “I think when you look at the options that Celtic have and the emergence of James Forrest, I can see Mikey Johnston being one of the ones that Celtic probably say, ‘look, go out on loan or maybe a permanent move’ and I think at this stage of his career, I think that’s exactly what Mikey Johnston needs.
“The standard in the Belgian League’s good; a lot of boys have gone over there and played well.
“If that [report] is true, and I would imagine there certainly would be a lot of substance to that story, then I think that would be a good one for Mikey Johnston.”
TIF Thoughts on Johnston and Celtic…
Should Celtic sell Mikey Johnston in the summer?
Yes
No
For a young player, the fact that the Glasgow native has already missed 77 games through injury in just three seasons is concerning, with more than half of those absences stemming from an MCL injury he sustained in January 2020 and kept him out until December of that year.
It has stalled his progression, with Johnston having burst onto the scene with two goals and four assists in 11 Scottish Premiership appearances until he was struck down with an extreme knee problem in the first half of the 2019/20 season.
He was restricted to just 20 appearances in all competitions last term, with his only goal contribution being an assist in the final group game of the club’s Europa League campaign back in December.
He missed large portions of the campaign through injury but did make a return for the B team in March, scoring twice in a 5-0 Glasgow Cup win over Patrick Thistle, however, it does feel like his future lies elsewhere.