Mikey Johnston will return to Celtic following the conclusion of his loan deal at the end of the season. Vitoria Guimaraes’s Nuno Leite has confirmed that the winger will return to Glasgow, despite impressing with performances in Portugal.
Speaking to Desportivo de Guimaraes, the Vice President confirmed that there was no option to buy the 23-year-old and, accordingly, they would be unable to retain his services beyond the end of the season.
“We have to enjoy him until the end of the season. He is a great player, an extraordinary professional who helps the group. Unfortunately, Vitória will not be able to keep him.”
Johnston has had a terrible time in recent seasons with persistent injury problems. The winger has never really impressed in the limited run-outs he’s managed under Ange Postecoglou and it made sense to switch Glasgow for Portugal in the hunt of regular football. In thirteen appearances, Johnston has scored three times and assisted three times. Given his age, he still has a lot of football ahead of him and the time away from Celtic will surely enhance his abilities.
Celtic have a wealth of wide options at the manager’s disposal. Daizen Maeda, Jota, Liel Abada, James Forrest and Sead Haksabanovic are all battling for the two wide positions in Ange’s team.
