Mikey Johnston’s surprise move to Flamengo has collapsed at the eleventh hour, with Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph reporting that the Brazilian giants have decided to withdraw from the deal following a backlash from their supporters.
Johnston had been due to fly to Rio de Janeiro this week to finalise the move, but will now link back up with West Brom’s pre-season camp in Austria instead.
Flamengo’s interest in the Ireland international appeared to stem from their sporting director José Boto, who previously worked with Johnston during his loan spell at Vitória de Guimarães in Portugal.
Despite that connection, the transfer was met with widespread criticism from Flamengo’s support, which appears to have forced the club to pull out at the last minute.
Johnston only joined West Brom permanently this summer after a successful loan spell last season, where he showed flashes of the potential that first brought him to prominence at Celtic Park.
The winger’s form earned him international recognition with Ireland, but he now finds himself returning to the English Championship rather than making history as the first Irishman to play in Brazil’s top flight.
Celtic fans will recognise this as another unexpected chapter in Johnston’s rollercoaster career.
Once hailed as a future star in green and white, he never quite nailed down a starting place in Glasgow. But even now, his career remains anything but predictable.
