Inside winger's rise from Celtic outcast to EFL star as international closes in on stunning £5m Brazil transfer

12 months after quitting his boyhood club, former Celtic winger Mikey Johnston is on the brink of making a sensational £5million move to Brazilian giants Flamengo.

The current West Brom star is set to join one of the biggest and most successful clubs in South America after a formal approach was made to the EFL Championship club, according to the Express & Star.

A product of the Hoops’ academy, Johnston made the permanent switch to The Hawthorns last season in a deal worth £3m after starring on loan during the previous season.

However, the 15-capped Republic of Ireland international endured an underwhelming campaign with the Baggies, scoring just three goals and providing five assists in 41 appearances across all competitions last term.

It’s now claimed the 26-year-old will add to a growing Irish contingent playing their club football outside of the UK by heading across the globe, with Flamengo widely regarded as one of the best-supported teams in Brazil. They recently beat Chelsea during the Club World Cup group stage.

Should an agreement be reached between the two clubs, skilful wide man Johnston would link up with players such as one-time Ballon d’Or nominee Jorginho and ex-Juventus defender Alex Sandro at the Rio de Janeiro-based outfit, who play their home games at the iconic 73,000-seated Maracana Stadium.

Flamengo have lifted the top-flight title in Brazil seven times are currently sit top of the table this season.

Mikey Johnston to enter unchartered territory

Johnston swapped Glasgow’s east end for the West Midlands after spending 16 years at Celtic, of which seven years were spent in and around the first-team.

A move to Brazil might be unchartered territory, but he should be relatively familiar with the language, which is primarily Portuguese. Johnston previously spent time in Portugal at Vitoria de Guimaraes on loan during the 2023/24 season.

Johnston struggled with various injury setbacks during his time at Celtic and while it was evident he had an abundance of talent, he was never able to truly showcase it on a consistent basis. He was eventually deemed surplus to requirements by Brendan Rodgers.

After signing for West Brom permanently, Johnston admitted: “Leaving Celtic was obviously hard. it’s the club I’ve loved since I was a youngster. The fact the fans took to me so well last year will make the transition so easy.”