Sam Johnstone, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa, is reportedly set to be the subject of a three-way tussle between Premier League clubs in January.
According to a report by Daily Mirror, Sam Johnstone’s time at Manchester United will soon come to a permanent end. The English goalkeeper, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa, is set to be at the centre of a three-way January tussle involving West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace.
Johnstone joined the fabled Manchester United academy in 2009, progressing through the ranks rapidly before breaking into the first-team setup in 2011. But, as has been the case with several other youth goalkeepers at the club, the Englishman struggled to notch up competitive minutes for the Red Devils, with David De Gea firmly established as the first-choice.
Johnstone has instead embarked on a number of loan spells over the last six years, with the latest being a second stint at Aston Villa. And at Villa Park, the shot stopper has been quite successful, having established himself as the firm first-choice under Steve Bruce.
This season, the 24-year-old has kept nine clean sheets in 22 appearances, playing a major role in the Villans’ bid to gain promotion back to the Premier League. But their campaign could be jolted next month, with a trio of Premier League clubs interested in signing Johsntone in the winter transfer window.
Steve Bruce: “William is a big Villa fan and knew a lot. He was pleading with me to get Sam Johnstone tied up and make his deal permanent.” #avfc pic.twitter.com/bHp52rgXRC
— thevillazone?? (@thevillazone) November 24, 2017
Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United are the suitors that are vying for his signature, with each club set to spend large sums of money in January to pull clear of the relegation zone in the second half of the season.
Palace are set to see Wayne Hennessey depart from Selhurst Park when his contract runs out at the end of the season. Veteran goalkeeper Julian Speroni, at 38, does not have many years left in competitive football either, making Johnstone a long-term target.
West Brom on the other hand, are looking at Johnstone to provide more competition to Ben Foster, with Boaz Myhill struggling to look the part. West Ham’s potential capture of Johnstone could see him vie for the first-choice goalkeeping slot with Adrian, with Joe Hart’s loan spell unlikely to result in a permanent move.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa haven’t given up hope on securing a permanent deal for Johnstone themselves, with reports suggesting that they could enter the race to sign him in January as well. The player himself has indicated that he would like to remain at Villa Park, potentially setting up a four-way tussle instead.
Manchester United will only ask for a paltry sum of £5 million in exchange for Johnstone’s services in January, and it remains to be seen if his journey at the club indeed permanently comes to an end next month.
