Steve Hermon shares latest on Johnston at West Brom after transfer bombshell
Mikey Johnston has been involved in one of the most unexpected transfer stories of the window.
The West Brom winger was set for a shock move to Brazil to join Flamengo this summer.
Johnston, 26, moved to The Hawthorns on loan from Celtic in February 2024, before making the move permanent for £3million that summer.
The Irishman looked set to leave The Hawthorns for a reported £5m, with Aune Heggebo set to arrive, possibly using the funds from his departure.
However, that has all come crumbling down.
Johnston’s transfer to Flamengo has stalled
Johnston was set to fly out to Brazil to finalise the transfer to Flamengo.
However, it has been reported that the move has been buffered, with serious backlash from the fans in South America over the possible deal.
Hermon has reported that the claims that the move has stalled are indeed correct, but has refuted claims that the Irishman failed a medical.
Instead, he says that Johnston, in fact, never had a medical, and that the plan now is for the winger to join up with his West Brom teammates out in Austria for their pre-season training camp.
Johnston can help West Brom’s promotion hopes
The proposed transfer to Flamengo had come as a shock to the Baggies’ fanbase, given the nature of the move.
Johnston was electric during his initial loan spell at The Hawthorns, but slowed down following his permanent transfer last summer, as the West Brom attack largely struggled as a whole.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2023/24 | 20 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024/25 | 40 | 5 | 3 |
If the move to Brazil does fully fall through, as expected, it could give Ryan Mason the chance to get the best out of the Irishman and return him to the form shown in the first half of 2024.
With two months left in the transfer window, expect plenty more turns to come.
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