Sheffield United agree £2.5m deal for Celtic star Mikey Johnston | OneFootball

The winger spent last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion, but will now head to Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United have agreed a £2.5 million deal with Scottish giants Celtic for winger Mikey Johnston.

That's according to Alan Nixon via Patreon, with the Blades beating out fellow Championship side Burnley for the services of the 25-year-old.

Johnston spent the latter part of last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion, scoring seven goals and picking up two assists in 20 matches as the Baggies reached the play-offs.

The arrival of the Republic of Ireland international also protects Sheffield United in case another bid comes in for Gustavo Hamer from Leeds United, who had a bid rejected for the former Coventry City man last night, as per The Star.

Mikey Johnston set to add pace and creativity to Sheffield United flanks

After missing out on Jeremy Sarmiento to Burnley, Chris Wilder has got one back on Scott Parker, and the seemingly imminent arrival of Johnston is something to get excited about.

The winger was excellent for West Brom when he first made the move to The Hawthorns in the second half of last season, finding the back of the net in just his third game for the club in a 2-0 win against Cardiff City.

That was his first goal of six in seven matches, as the Baggies finished fifth in the Championship. His form did slow towards the end of his stay in the Black Country, but Johnston had lived up to the hype that he had early in his career at Celtic.

His performance in a 4-1 away against Huddersfield Town was spectacular, with the 25-year-old scoring twice, and picking up an assist as West Brom eased past the eventually relegated Terriers.

With deadline day nearing, Wilder will be extremely pleased to have captured another winger who can partner Jesurun Rak-Sayki on the other wing, with the Blades looking to improve on their last two Championship performances on Saturday, when they welcome Watford to Bramall Lane.

Mikey Johnston will be hoping for better luck at Sheffield United following Celtic struggles

Despite spending his entire career at Celtic Park, Johnston has struggled to solidify his place in the starting 11. Instead, he has had to try and make an impact from the bench.

He was sent out on loan to Portugal in 2022/23, spending the season with Vitória de Guimarães, but he was never fully effective for the Primeira Liga outfit, scoring just once in the league, while assisting four times.

The additions of Luis Palma and Daizen Maeda in recent years at Celtic has meant that Johnston's game-time has been limited even further, meaning this move works for all three parties.

Sheffield United can expect a winger that will run at defenders and look to pick out a cross.

However, his record at West Brom has proven that he also has an eye for goal, something that will come in handy for the Blades, who have struggled for true goal-scoring form from their strikers in the past year.

If Johnston provides the standards that he showed at the Baggies, then £2.5 million looks to be a bargain, but with his struggles at Celtic at times, there may be fears that he could regress back to the same level.