West Brom: John Hartson makes Mikey Johnston transfer prediction at Celtic amid ‘positive’ loan
West Brom loanee Mikey Johnston will have another opportunity at Celtic, according to John Hartson.
But the pundit has also suggested that other clubs may show an interest in signing the winger in the summer.
Johnston, who moved to The Hawthorns on loan in January, has scored six goals from his 10 Baggies appearances.
“I am glad for Mikey that he is doing so well,” Hartson said on Go Radio, as quoted by the Daily Record (19 March). “West Brom is a big club. They are going for promotion back into the Premier League and some of the goals he has scored have been fantastic.
“But remember he is only on loan so Celtic will see more of Mikey Johnston as just a case of the player himself when he comes back making a similar impact back at Celtic where the pressure is multiplied a lot more, and not being disrespectful to the Championship, he has to perform every single week at Celtic. There is no hiding place. So when he comes back eventually it is going to be down to him to put in those types of performances he’s shown at West Brom.
“Sometimes maybe a player needs to go out on loan to discover himself again and put in some good performances. He’s responded exactly how Brendan Rodgers will have wanted him to. Keep going, be positive and go do well at your loan club. Your stock is then a bit higher and one or two other clubs may be interested but Celtic hold the player. He’s a Celtic player. There is no doubt he will come back and there is no doubt he will have another opportunity at Celtic.”
Does West Brom ace Mikey Johnston have a future at Celtic?
Johnston has immediately hit the ground running at The Hawthorns, having seen his career stall somewhat at Celtic Park.
Remarkably, the winger has scored six goals from 10 Albion appearances, having netted 13 times in 92 Celtic appearances.
And he still has plenty of time to add to that tally at The Hawthorns as West Brom push for promotion back to the Premier League.
Carlos Corberan’s side currently occupy fifth place in the Championship table, with 66 points from their 38 matches so far.
Given the points tallies of high-flying Leeds United, Leicester City and Ipswich Town, it will be a play-off spot that Corberan is targeting, and that is certainly achievable.
Key to that ambition will be Johnston, who is currently away from The Hawthorns after being called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for the latest international break.
Corberan will want the exciting winger back in one piece, with a crucial stage of the campaign approaching.
In other West Brom news, Baggies fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Shilen Patel issues a new Corberan verdict.
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