If AJ is indeed for the off, then Julian Araujo surely has to be his replacement…
Rumours are circulating that a bid for our star right back Alistair Johnston is imminent, with Everton the club credited with an interest in the Canadian international.
According to reliable sources, Toffee’s boss Davie Moyes is a huge fan of the 27 year old who cost the club £3 million back in 2022 when Ange Postecoglou signed him from Montreal, and is going to test the club’s resolve with a lowball bid in the region of £10 million.
It’s Celtic getting a taste of their own medicine and hopefully they’ll see the funny side before telling the former Celtic full back that the only half price sale they’re contemplating is in the club shop.
I’m hopeful that we can keep hold of the battling right back, but realistically if a big offer comes our way that meets the club’s valuation then like so many others before him, Alistair Johnson will certainly be on his way out the door.
That will leave us particularly weak in the right back area, with only Tony Ralston, and Colby Donovan as options, and neither are capable of filling void left by the Canadian World Cup star performer and accordingly a replacement will have to be signed.
For me that can mean only one thing, and that is a move for Julian Araujo, a player who proved ever so popular due to a successful but rather fleeting loan spell last season.
The Mexican international was signed on loan from Bournemouth last January, ironically as cover for the injured AJ, and stood out with some terrific performances only to pick up an Injury in the dramatic Scottish cup quarter final win over the Rangers at Ibrox. Despite his attempts to overcome his injury, he was sequentially sent back to Bournemouth with his loan spell cut prematurely short.
Despite being here such a short period, the Los Angeles born Mexican international proved pivotal in Celtic’s eventual title success, due to sterling performances, with his last gasp goal at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock proving to be so vital in the final standings.
It would cost in the region of £8 million to sign Araujo from Bournemouth, but any suitable fee that Alistair Johnston would fetch would cover that number and more, as Celtic will be looking for £20m for the player.
Salary might be an issue, as Araujo is reportedly on £50,000 a week, but I’m sure a deal can be done to lower that figure as we’ve done with several other key signings in the past.
Julian Araujo to replace Alistair Johnston in the event of the latter departing, is the only viable alternative. My guess though is that Alistair Johnston will NOT be heading to Everton for a variety of reasons, most importantly their failure to appreciate Celtic’s valuation.
On a wider point, does lowballing ever work? Just seems to cause arguments as far as I can ascertain.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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5 Comments
Everton know they’d have to pay £40 upwards for a decent EPL full back, so half of that is a bargain for them.
AJ was seen by me, some of my friends, and I’m sure many others as a potential future Captain after Calmac retires. Sadly that looks unlikely to happen as Everton will know they can break our Board’s financial resolve with ease. £20m would be hard to turn down.
Will be disappointing if AJ goes, really disappointing. He’s a great lad and a great player, but agreed in the circumstances that Araujo would be a popular and valid replacement.
£40 million that should read 😂
As far as I can see,lowballing only serves to wind people up.Its like “just testing to see if your a dick or not.Meet a clubs valuation or don’t bid,end of.
Lowballing is usually used to test the resolve of the players agent to see if they are up for a transfer.
AJ said he was very happy at Celtic when he was interviewed during the World Cup and was looking forward to having a full season under O’Neil, plus Celtic are in a very good position as he has at least 2 years left on his contract so any offer made by Everton would have to be a very good one for us to sell.
If we are looking for answers to potential low balling offers upon our players now?
Then we possibly won’t get them, with maybe the answer lies in the contracts of the player involved, or even what promises our club may have given them imo?
As a total guess, does a loyalty bonus counts for anything for a player these days? Especially as we have become so use to our player trading model in operation for numerous years now?
If you take into account, the fee paid for AJ, along with what he has been paid in wages?
Then we are still potentially looking at having AJ, for all that he gave to ourselves?
And it actually cost ourselves nothing, and even a small profit on top?
And that’s at a ridiculous low 10M fee involved imo?
The same could have been said of Maeda, and even Calmac if the likes had happened?
Just maybe, this might have been a change introduced in order to attract more and better quality players to our club, in the longer term?
Don’t know if such a policy introduced, would sit comfortably with myself just yet?
But do think something had to be done, in order to attract the higher quality players to our club, especially with the SPFL becoming a much harder sell to potential players imo?
Not so long ago, we were only looking at getting 2 seasons out of key and quality players? That has extended in recent times moreso, especially with trying to keep hold of a strong core group in operation. But there is still a time limit also for players within there careers also in operation?
A player can only go so far, within the Scottish dominance that we are keeping intact, before a new challenge will become more attractive, especially in financial terms for themselves?
So are they going to want to be tied down in contracts, which benefit our player trading model above all else?
We may well value AJ, Maeda and a few others at around the 20M mark?
But very doubtful we are going to be paying them anything close to the going rate of a 20M player?
And certainly won’t be paying that amount for the replacement, as they would possibly be well above our wage structure, for even considering offering a contract to imo?
Maybe it’s something for an AGM, to potentially clarify, as it’s only a guessing game at this stage imo?