Chris Lepkowski: West Brom must sell this player in Jan or ensure he signs new deal
West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone should be sold in January if a new contract cannot be agreed, according to former Birmingham Mail journalist Chris Lepkowski.
With Johnstone in terrific form this season for the struggling Baggies, Leeds are keeping tabs on the shot-stopper according to The Sun, as he begins to enter the final 18 months of his current deal, after which he can leave as a free agent.
This has led some to suggest the Baggies must cash in on Johnstone in January if no new terms are signed, and Lepkowski, a respected journalist amongst West Brom fans, agrees with this sentiment, calling on the club to protect his value.
Speaking on ‘The Liquidator’ podcast (28/12/20), Lepkowski told presenter Adrian Goldberg, “His contractual situation is troubling.
“It needs to be resolved, once it gets to the end of this season and he’s only got one year left, his value diminishes quickly and with a player like that, we can’t allow that to happen.
“So we have to either take the nuclear option of selling him in January, or tie him into a new deal ASAP which at least then protects his value should we go down or should we decide to sell him at a later date.”
Johnstone has arguably been West Brom’s most important player this season, and a January transfer for him would be a crushing blow to their Premier League survival hopes.
With the riches on offer that staying up in the Premier League represents, it’s surely a no-brainer to keep Johnstone at the club at least until the end of the season.
His value won’t completely diminish in the summer, no matter what division the Baggies are set to ply their trade, and the added discomfort of trying to secure a goalkeeper of Johnstone’s ilk in the January transfer window would be sure to give new manager Sam Allardyce a headache.
The focus for Allardyce and his staff should be on bringing players into the side that can add to the team, not letting a crucial player leave that has kept the club just about within touching distance of 17th and Premier League safety.
If West Brom are to improve their defensive record, which currently stands at the joint-worst in the league (level with Leeds on 30 goals conceded) then they must be smart about their transfer dealings, and ensure Johnstone stays past the closing of the window.
In other West Brom news, pundit praises Johnstone’s ‘phenomenal’ save.
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