Medical scheduled: Celtic are now poised to sign the “fantastic” former Aston Villa player, who has arrived in Glasgow.

Celtic have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, with the experienced Englishman now on his way to Glasgow to complete his medical and finalise the move.

The Scottish champions have been looking to strengthen their goalkeeping department, with Martin O’Neill currently having only two senior options available in Viljami Sinisalo and Ross Doohan.

Johnstone’s arrival would provide Celtic with a vastly more experienced alternative between the posts. The 33-year-old has spent much of his career playing in England and has accumulated extensive experience in the Premier League and Championship.

The proposed deal is understood to be a season-long loan, with Celtic agreeing to cover a significant portion of the goalkeeper’s wages during his time in Scotland.

Johnstone Brings Plenty of Experience

Johnstone would arrive at Parkhead with an impressive playing résumé.

The goalkeeper has represented several clubs during his career, including Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace, Doncaster Rovers, Preston North End, Scunthorpe United, Yeovil Town, Walsall and Wolves.

His numbers demonstrate the amount of senior football he has already experienced.

During his time with West Brom, Johnstone made 167 appearances and recorded 44 clean sheets. He also played 70 times for Aston Villa, keeping 30 clean sheets.

His other spells include 34 appearances for Crystal Palace, 32 for Doncaster Rovers, 29 for Preston North End and 27 for Wolves.

He has also represented England on four occasions, meaning Celtic would be bringing in a goalkeeper who has reached international level.

Former Managers Have Praised Johnstone

Johnstone has received strong praise from several of his former managers throughout his career.

During his spell at Wolves, former manager Gary O’Neil described the goalkeeper as “fantastic”, highlighting the qualities he could bring to a team.

Johnstone has also been praised during his time at West Brom.

Former Baggies manager Sam Allardyce was particularly impressed with the goalkeeper following a 1-1 draw against Liverpool.

Allardyce highlighted Johnstone’s importance to the team and suggested that goalkeepers and goalscorers are among the most important players in any side.

He also pointed out that Johnstone had already made more saves than any other goalkeeper at that stage, underlining his ability to make a difference between the posts.

Those endorsements provide Celtic supporters with an indication of the level of goalkeeper they could be adding to O’Neill’s squad.

Celtic Need More Goalkeeping Depth

The move makes sense because Celtic currently have limited senior depth in the position.

Sinisalo has been O’Neill’s first-choice goalkeeper during the opening stages of the season.

The Finnish goalkeeper has started the first three Scottish Premiership matches and has managed one clean sheet during that period.

Sinisalo has also shown that he can perform at a high level.

During Celtic’s first-leg Champions League qualifying victory over LASK Linz at Parkhead, the 24-year-old played an important role in keeping the Austrian side scoreless.

He made four saves from inside the penalty area as Celtic secured an impressive 3-0 victory.

However, the second leg in Austria proved a completely different experience.

Celtic collapsed and suffered a 5-1 defeat after extra time, resulting in a 5-4 aggregate loss and elimination from the Champions League qualification process.

Sinisalo conceded five goals during that match, although the problems were certainly not solely down to the goalkeeper.

Questions Over Ross Doohan

Celtic’s other senior goalkeeping option is Ross Doohan.

The 27-year-old has experience in the lower divisions of English football, making 55 League Two appearances during spells with Forest Green Rovers and Tranmere Rovers.

He subsequently moved to Aberdeen before joining Celtic.

However, his previous experience suggests that he may not represent the ideal option if Sinisalo were unavailable for an extended period.

That lack of proven depth is one of the reasons Celtic have been looking to bring in another experienced goalkeeper.

Johnstone would immediately address that concern.

His extensive Premier League experience would provide O’Neill with a reliable alternative while also creating competition for the starting position.

Celtic Agree Loan Deal

Reporter Anthony Joseph has now provided a significant update on the situation, revealing that Celtic have reached an agreement with Wolves for Johnstone.

The deal is understood to be a season-long loan arrangement.

Celtic will reportedly cover a substantial portion of the England international’s wages during his time at Parkhead.

Joseph also revealed that Johnstone was travelling to Glasgow to undergo his medical and complete the remaining paperwork.

That represents a major step towards the goalkeeper becoming a Celtic player.

With the medical now scheduled and Johnstone having arrived in Glasgow, the transfer appears to be moving rapidly towards completion.

Deadline Pressure at Celtic

The timing of the move is significant because Celtic are approaching the end of the transfer window.

The Scottish transfer deadline is scheduled for Thursday at 5pm, leaving the club with limited time to complete any remaining business.

Celtic’s disappointing Champions League exit against LASK appears to have encouraged the club to accelerate their recruitment plans.

The collapse in Austria exposed several weaknesses within the squad and increased the importance of strengthening before the window closes.

Adding an experienced goalkeeper is therefore a logical step for O’Neill.

The manager will want greater competition for places and, perhaps more importantly, greater security should his first-choice goalkeeper suffer an injury or loss of form.

A Strong Option for O’Neill

Johnstone’s arrival could prove particularly useful because of his experience.

At 33, he would be significantly older and more experienced than Sinisalo, giving Celtic another player who has operated regularly at a high level.

His time in the Premier League has exposed him to some of the best attackers in English football, while his four England caps further demonstrate his pedigree.

Although he may not arrive as a permanent signing initially, the season-long loan gives Celtic an opportunity to benefit from his experience without making a long-term commitment.

For Johnstone, meanwhile, a move to Celtic offers the opportunity to play European and domestic football while continuing his career outside England.

Transfer Edges Closer

With Johnstone now in Glasgow for his medical, Celtic supporters can expect the transfer to move towards its final stages.

The agreement with Wolves is reportedly already in place, meaning the remaining steps are largely formalities, assuming the goalkeeper passes his medical and the paperwork is completed successfully.

O’Neill would then have three senior goalkeeping options at his disposal.

Sinisalo is likely to remain an important part of the squad, but the presence of Johnstone should provide genuine competition and greater depth.

Given Celtic’s ambitions across domestic and European competitions, strengthening every position is important.

Johnstone’s experience, international background and previous praise from respected managers make him an intriguing addition.

After the disappointment of the Champions League exit, Celtic appear determined to respond by improving their squad.

Bringing in an experienced goalkeeper on loan could be one of the final pieces of business before the transfer deadline, and with Johnstone already in Glasgow, his move to Parkhead now looks increasingly close.