Pundit Tam McManus has been reacting to Celtic’s move for right-back Alistair Johnston.

The Lowdown: Johnston signed

The Hoops may well be set to lose Josip Juranovic in the New Year after contract talks stalled, so they have already acted to bolster their options by signing Johnston.

The 24-year-old put pen to paper on a five-year deal from CF Montreal after playing for Canada at the World Cup.

He becomes the club’s second winter window signing after centre-back Yuki Kobayashi, who has also signed a five-year contract in Scotland.

The Latest: McManus thrilled

Former Celtic man Frank McAvennie had some concerns about the signing, but McManus is quite the opposite.

The ex-Hibs man was talking to Football Insider regarding the club’s move for Johnston in a story shared on Wednesday. He believes the signing 'ticks a lot of boxes for Celtic’ and labelled a transfer as a ‘great move’ for the Hoops.

“Yeah we had a good look at him during the World Cup and I thought he was very good.

“He ticks a lot of boxes for Celtic in terms of athleticism, pace, and good going forward. I think he is perfect for Scottish football and the way Ange likes to play.

“It’s a great move for Celtic in my opinion. Of course, it covers that position because we don’t know what is going to happen with Juranovic.

“But everyone took a good look at him during the World Cup and I think Celtic fans were impressed. We are going to see a lot of players move clubs on the back of this World Cup.

“Celtic acted quickly to get this deal done because they obviously liked what they saw. Like I say, I think he’s perfect for Scottish football.”

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The Verdict: Good news

As mentioned, the Hoops could soon lose Juranovic in a deal worth more than £5m, so as McManus says, it is good that they acted quickly to sign Johnston.

The right-back can play in a variety of different positions such as a right midfielder, centre-back or defensive midfielder, something which could come in handy under Ange Postecoglou, who also has Anthony Ralston as a right-back option.

He’s been described as a player ‘perfect for Scottish football’, so hopefully, Johnston will hit the ground running at Parkhead.