West Brom are resigned to losing first choice goalkeeper Sam Johnstone on a free transfer next summer according to the Daily Mail. It was reported that the England international will most likely leave the Baggies when his contract ends in the summer of 2021.
Several teams were keen on signing the England shot stopper in the summer when he had one year left on his contract but the Baggies slapped a £20m asking price on him and that led to the end of the interest in him from Premier League clubs. English top flight sides such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, former club Manchester United, West Ham United and Southampton were all on the trail of the England shot stopper this summer.
East Londoners West Ham United were the only team to make a concrete bid for Johnstone, but it was not enough to secure his transfer. The Hammers offered £10m for the England senior national team shot stopper, but it was a long way from the asking price from West Brom. In the end, the Hammers settled for French international Alphonse Areola on a season-long loan deal from Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in his native France. Areola has adequate Premier League experience having spent last season on loan at Fulham from PSG. The West Ham loanee was a consistent performer for the Cottagers whom he could not prevent from demotion to the Championship.
The destination of Johnstone next summer is far from clear, but it’s almost certain that he would have a lot of clubs on his trail as a potential free transfer acquisition.
At the moment, Johnstone is with the England squad ahead of the World Cup qualifiers with Albania and San Marino. He’s one of three goalkeepers in the squad alongside Arsenal star Aaron Ramsdale and Everton player Jordan Pickford.
