According to the Football Insider, Burnley are lining up a move for Celtic winger Mikey Johnston.
The 25-year-old Irishman has returned to Celtic after a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion last season, where he made a notable contribution by being involved in nine goals in 20 appearances across all competitions. Despite his efforts, West Brom failed to secure promotion to the Premier League, losing in the play-offs to eventual winners Southampton.
Johnston, who emerged from Celtic’s youth system, has amassed over 90 appearances for the club. Additionally, he has experienced another loan spell away from Celtic Park, as he spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Victoria Guimaraes SC in Portugal, where he made 31 appearances in all competitions. The Glasgow-based side are looking for back-to-back titles under Brendan Rogers, winning two from two in the Scottish Premiership. However, Johnston has only made one cameo appearance so far, featuring from the bench in a 2-0 win over Hibernian.
As expected, the Clarets have experienced turnover since being relegated. Manager Vincent Kompany left to take up the Bayern Munich job. Winger Wilson Odobert’s departure to Tottenham Hotspur has left Burnley scrambling for a winger before the transfer window slams shut in just nine days. New manager Scott Parker’s Burnley are said to be interested in bringing Johnston to Turf Moor, after impressing in the Championship in the latter stages of the 2023/24 season.
Parker has been relatively busy on the transfer front, with eight new arrivals sealed as Burnley look for an immediate return to the Premier League. Johnston looks to be one of their next additions. Players such as Charlie Taylor, and Arijanet Muric have also left for the Premier League, joining newly promoted Southampton and Ipswich Town. Further outgoings are also expected, with key players such as Anass Zaroury and Sander Berge reportedly set to depart the club before the deadline.
The Clarets have certainly not struggled on the goalscoring front, scoring a total of nine goals in two Championship, as they recorded high-scoring wins against Luton Town and Cardiff City.
Writer’s View
The high amount of turnover so far hasn’t affected Burnley’s performances so far. It is always hard to keep players after relegation at any level. Parker has seemingly stabled what looked like an unstable ship going into this season. A few more additions to replace departing players will give the Lancashire outfit the best fighting chance to bounce straight back to the Premier League.
Johnston showed the Championship what he was capable of in such a short space of time. He quickly became a fan-favourite at the Hawthorns, as he racked up the goals and assists. With him out of favour at Celtic, a move to Turf Moor would make sense for all involved. Celtic will cash out on a homegrown talent, with Burnley gaining a proven player at this level. The 25-year-old will look forward to more consistent game time in a league he knows from his short spell last season.
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