Celtic sign Sam Johnstone on season-long loan from Wolves

Celtic have signed goalkeeper Sam Johnstone from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan. BBC Sport reported the completed move on Wednesday, giving the Glasgow club an experienced addition to its goalkeeping group for the remainder of the 2026-27 campaign.

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The agreement is a temporary transfer from Wolves, where Johnstone has been under contract since arriving from Crystal Palace in August 2024. Wolves said at the time of that move that he had signed a four-year deal, with the club holding an option for a further 12 months. No permanent component to the new Celtic loan was announced in the BBC report.

Johnstone, 33, has built a career spanning more than 350 senior appearances. He developed in Manchester United's academy and gained experience through a succession of loan spells, including two periods with Aston Villa. He later became the established first-choice goalkeeper at West Bromwich Albion and played every minute of their 2019-20 promotion campaign.

His performances for West Brom led to senior England recognition. Johnstone won his first cap in a 1-0 friendly victory over Romania before Euro 2020 and was part of the England squad that reached the final of that tournament. Wolves list him as a four-cap international, with clean sheets in two of those appearances.

The goalkeeper's recent preparation has included a recovery from shoulder surgery performed near the end of last season. In an official Wolves injury update on August 20, director of performance Phil Hayward said Johnstone had been back in training for several weeks, was handling an increased workload and was close to being considered fully fit. That was the club's latest stated timeline before the loan was completed.

The move gives Johnstone a new assignment two years after his transfer to Molineux. It also continues a career that has included spells with Manchester United, Aston Villa, West Brom, Crystal Palace and Wolves before his first move into Scottish football. The BBC described the deal as lasting for the full season, so Johnstone is due to remain with Celtic through the end of the current campaign before returning to his parent club.