Alistair Johnston has opened up on a potential transfer switch to Europe this January window.

The Canadian international is reportedly in advanced talks with Celtic over a move and his demand will have risen after an impressive display against Belgium on Wednesday at the World Cup in Qatar.

Full-back Johnston is currently plying his trade in the MLS with Montreal and Celtic could look to him as a potential replacement for Josip Juranovic, who looks set to leave the club in the coming window.

It is understood Montreal are looking for profit on the £800,000 they paid for Johnston to sign him from Nashville last December.

Speaking about a potential move, he said: “There is only so much I can say right now but if an opportunity arises, sure.

“I am really happy at Montreal and we have a great thing going, but at the same time I want to test myself, and I want to see how high I can go.

“That’s something that for all athletes deep down is in our DNA.

“You want to be competitive and push yourself to play against the best and see how high you can go.

“We never want to look back at our career and have the, ‘What if?’ question. I’ve nightmares thinking about that.

“I want to push the boundaries of what is physically capable for me.

“If that means going overseas, and trying to see what kind of level I can play at, then so be it. We will see how the World Cup goes and we will see what happens after that.”

Meanwhile, Yuki Kobayashi declared his excitement about the prospect of working with Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou after the Scottish champions announced the impending arrival of the Japanese centre-back on a five-year deal.

The 22-year-old will join the Parkhead side from J League club Vissel Kobe next month and will be eligible to play competitively once the registration window opens in January.

Yuki will become the fifth Japanese player to move to Celtic since Postecoglou – who previously managed J League side Yokohama F. Marinos – took charge in the summer of 2021.

“I am so excited to be joining Celtic and I am really looking forward to this wonderful opportunity,” he told Celtic’s website.

“I will be giving everything to try and be successful with the club. Right across the world, everyone knows what a special club Celtic is and it will be a real honour to wear this fantastic jersey.

“The work of Ange Postecoglou is also really well-known in Japan after he had such a great time in the J League, and as well as being part of Celtic, I can’t wait to work with him as a coach and the great team of players he has already developed.

“I know that Celtic over so many years has such a brilliant track record of success and I now want to play my part in bringing more great moments to the club and our fans.

“I would like to thank Vissel Kobe sincerely for all the support that has been given to me in the early part of my career and now I look forward to embracing this exciting new challenge with Celtic, one of the world’s great football clubs.”

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