Wolves have identified West Brom’s Sam Johnstone as a summer target
Wolverhampton Wanderers have identified West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone as a target should Portuguese star Rui Patricio leave.
However, a deal with the Baggies could prove to be difficult claims The Athletic.
West Brom recently parted ways with sporting and technical director Luke Dowling, and while Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael is set to come in as Sam Allardyce’s replacement, that has not yet happened.
According to The Athletic: “West Brom’s Sam Johnstone, who made his England debut this month, have been identified as a target.
“Johnstone, however, would be complicated at the other end of the deal because although West Brom are willing sellers after being relegated from the Premier League last season, they have neither a sporting director nor a manager at the moment, meaning the lines of communication at The Hawthorns are about as clear as the nearby Spaghetti Junction motorway interchange at rush hour.”
Get in a director ASAP
Dowling’s exit has further complicated things at West Brom, and while CEO Xu Ke has gotten a manager, we need a director too as soon as possible.
Ismael is not likely to be keen to hold on to Johnstone, as staying in the Championship would jeopardize his international chances with England.
A loan exit ahead of a potential return to the Hawthorns should we seal an instant promotion to the Premier League would not make sense financially, as we need to reinvest money from his sales in the transfer market.
A sporting director is well-placed to make all the crucial footballing decisions at the club given Ken’s limited knowledge of the game.
However, nothing has been heard as far as potential replacements for Dowling go.
Despite currently being with the Three Lions at Euro 2020, Johnstone needs to have his future sorted as soon as possible, and West Brom should do the right thing at the right time.
Some of his Premier League suitors could promptly move on to other targets if nobody at Albion is available to negotiate deals, and we only hope that does not happen.
In other West Brom news, Michael Appleton has spoken out about the Baggies after reported snub.
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