Mikey Johnston debut was ready before West Brom transfer saga
West Brom looked to be days away from banking £5million after a bid was accepted from Flamengo for Mikey Johnston.
Johnston joined the Baggies for £3million last summer and, despite potentially being a big loss, would have brought in a useful profit for Ryan Mason’s side.
The winger was set to fly out to Brazil, but backlash from Flamengo fans saw the deal crumble.
The Brazilian outfit will now have to find a suitable replacement quickly for Johnston, with their previous plans for the 26-year-old now revealed.
Johnston debut was planned at Flamengo
Johnston is set to miss out on a dream move away from The Hawthorns after the transfer broke down.
With a move close, Johnston didn’t follow his teammates to their training camp in Austria and instead was set for Rio to complete the final parts of his move.
According to Venê Casagrande on X (7 July), the Irish winger had already spoken with Flamengo head coach Filipe Luís.
The plan was to include him in Flamengo’s match on Saturday against São Paulo, and he would’ve been playing on the left wing.
Johnston made 40 appearances for West Brom last season, scoring three goals and providing five assists.
While the tricky winger didn’t provide as much as fans would have wanted him to, he has shown that in a stable squad, he can really push on.
Johnston saga a blow for West Brom and Flamengo
The Albion were set to benefit in terms of the Profit and Sustainability regulations, with the move allowing Mason to potentially strengthen his team further than expected.
Johnston’s move falling through will have had a potential domino effect on the Baggies, with possible replacements likely being lined up.
The move would have made sense for both parties, with Flamengo getting themselves a player with Brazilian flair and The Albion making a healthy profit.
After completing the signing of Aune Heggebo, the Baggies must now move on to building Mason a side that can compete for promotion next season, with plenty of work still to be done.
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