As reported by The Press and Journal, Ryan Christie is set to move to Aberdeen for the entirety of next season as part of the deal that will see Jonny Hayes arrive at Celtic Park.
Christie of course spent the last half of last season on loan at Pittodrie, joining in January and showing enough good form to win the club’s Young Player Of The Season award. His highlights at the Dons were numerous, perhaps the biggest being scoring the winning goal that gave Aberdeen their first win at Ibrox in 26 years.
It’s been a positive for the player and for Aberdeen and of course ultimately that benefits Celtic in the long-term. Another season at Pittodrie will help develop him further, with little scope for first-team action as it stands given the form of Tom Rogic and Stuart Armstrong.
The Hoops have utilised loan moves effectively over the years with players like Callum McGregor leaving for a season and coming back to make a big impact.
Here are three more hot prospects at the Hoops we think should be sent out to a loan club this summer…
Jack Aitchison
Jack Aitchison burst onto the scene at Celtic in 2016 when he became both the club’s youngest ever player and youngest every goalscorer in the same match, coming off the bench against Motherwell in Ronny Deila’s last game as Hoops boss.
Since then he’s continued his development in the Celtic youth ranks, featuring regularly for their Development Squad and helping them lift both the Glasgow Cup and the Scottish Youth Cup last season.
Also featuring for Scotland at youth level, his future is still bright at the club despite not featuring regularly for Brendan Rodgers in the first team. He did make two substitute appearances but the 17-year-old needs regular games either at Scottish Premiership or Championship level to bring his game on further.
He has the attributes to be a success in either division and scoring regularly for another side could see him stake a claim for a more regular start at the Hoops in the future. With Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths in front of him, right now those chances just aren’t going to come.
Michael Johnston
After starring for Celtic’s youth sides all season, Michael Johnston was rewarded for his good form at that level with his first ever start in a Hoops shirt against St Johnstone in May.
It was a an impressive first hour of Celtic action, he was one of the bright sparks in the team that day and it was his driving run that provided an assist for Patrick Roberts to open the scoring early in the second half.
With competition fierce in the attacking midfield areas though, there’s little scope for him to get regular action next season. There’s simply too much at stake for the Hoops right now, who are hoping to not just maintain superiority in Scotland but make progress in European competition too.
Johnston is not quite at that level but out on loan he could have the opportunity to shine for an ambitious Scottish Premiership side.
Having just signed a three-year contract with Celtic, his long-term future at the club is secure and he can go out on loan knowing that he still has plenty of chances ahead at the Hoops in the future.
Kristoffer Ajer
Signed from Norwegian club IK Start as a defensive central midfielder, Kristoffer Ajer has undergone something of a transformation at Celtic over the last 12 months with Brendan Rodgers deciding that his future in football lies in the centre of defence.
In order to effect that change Rodgers sent the 6ft 5in Norwegian out on loan to Kilmarnock where he shone in the second half of the season, rapidly becoming a fan favourite at Rugby Park.
Still, his experience in the position is still too meagre to reliably appear there for the Hoops and a longer term loan somewhere that he can develop as a defender could be a great thing for both the player and Celtic.
There’s no doubt he has ability but he needs more time to learn his craft as a defender and could easily fit in at most Scottish Premiership sides.
