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Celtic ‘agree £2.5m deal to sell Mikey Johnston’ but rival clubs still fighting for his signature
A player could also be heading in the opposite direction
MIKEY JOHNSTON could be closing in on a permanent Celtic exit.
That's because a deal has been agreed that would take the winger back to English football, according to a report.
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Johnston, 25, has been one of the players expected to leave Celtic this summer.
And with the transfer deadline just days away from closing, it looks likely the Republic of Ireland international will move on.
After bursting onto the scene as a teenager, Johnston has ultimately found first team chances at Celtic hard to come by.
A combination of injury problems and other players being preferred have restricted his opportunities in recent years.
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Johnston enjoyed a loan spell in Portugal during the 2022/23 campaign with Vitoria de Guimaraes, where he racked up 31 games in all competitions - the most in a single season during his career to date.
He returned to Celtic ahead of last season but once again but injury disrupted the start to his campaign.
Once fit again, Johnston was given a chance to show Brendan Rodgers what he could do.
He featured somewhat regularly during the end of the last calendar year and scored twice in a 3-0 win at Dundee.
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But he ultimately found himself out of the picture again and moved to West Brom on loan in the January transfer window.
And he impressed hugely as the Baggies enjoyed a push for promotion to the Premier League.
All the latest ins and outs at Celtic and Rangers in frantic few days before transfer deadline
Johnston scored seven goals in 18 Championship appearances, the most prolific spell of his career.
West Brom ultimately fell short in their quest for promotion, being eliminated by eventual winners Southampton in the play-off semi finals.
SunSport revealed last week that Burnley and Sheffield United were both interested in signing Johnston permanently.
And now, according to SunSport columnist Alan Nixon on Patreon, United have agreed a deal with Celtic.
His report says the Blades and the Hoops have agreed a £2.5million fee for Johnston.
However, SunSport understands that other clubs are still very much in the mix to sign Johnston.
A player who could be heading the other way is Auston Trusty.
We exclusively told you last week how Celtic were eyeing a move for the United States international, who was a target for Rangers last summer.
According to a fresh report in the Daily Record, the Hoops have now made their move to sign Trusty, 26.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
The defender, who can play at centre-back and left-back, was wanted by the Gers last year.
At the time, Trusty was on the books at Arsenal before instead joining Sheffield United in a £5million deal.
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