Celtic are on the verge of signing defender Alistair Johnston from CF Montreal, with the 24-year old set to become manager Ange Postecoglou's second signing of the winter transfer window, following the deal to bring Japanese defender Yuki Kobayashi from Vissel Kobe.
Johnston has featured in both of Canada's World Cup Group F fixtures so far against Belgium and Croatia, completing the full 90 minutes in both matches. And despite the fact that his country lost both matches, the right back has caught the eye with some strong performances, which has seen the Parkhead giants swiftly move in to secure his signature. Although Canada are now unable to qualify for the knockout stage in Qatar, they do have one more chance to clinch their first ever World Cup victory in only their second appearance in the competition, when they take on Morocco on Thursday.
Celtic are believed to be paying around £3m for the defender's services, whose stock in the world of football has risen rapidly thanks to his World Cup exploits. With the deal all but confirmed, Johnston could be in line for a Hoops debut against Old Firm rivals Rangers on January 2.
