David Luiz namedropped as Mikey Johnston transfer saga revisited at West Brom already
West Brom’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end last time out against Derby.
Ryan Mason has enjoyed a good start to life as Baggies boss, with his side sitting fifth in the Championship table.
Mikey Johnston has been one of West Brom’s top performers this season, providing a real spark in attack.
Johnston was close to joining Flamengo in the summer, but his move to the Brazilian giants collapsed at the last minute, with fans in uproar over the possible deal.
The Irishman remained at The Hawthorns and will look to be one of the key players in the Baggies’ promotion push this season.
Mikey Johnston compared to David Luiz by Flamengo chief
Johnston’s move to Flamengo failed due to apparent backlash from fans of the Rio club, who protested against the signing.
The winger’s proposed transfer to Brazil was one of the more surprising developments of the transfer window, but it never ended up materialising.
Flamengo’s Sporting Director, José Boto, has been speaking about Johnston and the fans’ reaction to the proposed signing.
Speaking to UoL in Brazil, he said, “In Mikey’s case, he was one of the players we saw who would help the team with things we needed. When you try to make your first purchase, you get hit until you say enough.
“I also think there was a timing issue, because if it wasn’t the first, if he came in between Saúl and Samuel Lino, the fans might have had a different reaction. And I also don’t know if it’s the fans or the press that promotes this among the fans, but it’s also something that doesn’t worry me much.
“What’s important is whether the players truly have the characteristics that suit the club. I come from a small country.”
Boto also went on to liken Johnston to David Luiz, who was relatively unknown when he first moved to Portugal: “For example, when we came to sign David Luiz (when Benfica signed him from Vitória). In Portugal, no one had heard of him, not even in Brazil had you heard of David Luiz, right? And then the players turned out like this.”
While it would have been a brilliant move on a personal level, Johnston staying at West Brom looks to have turned out the best for all parties.
Ryan Mason to look to Mikey Johnston for attacking spark
Johnston has had a very good start to the season, scoring once and providing two assists.
Mason will be delighted to have Johnston among his attacking ranks, as he can change a game in an instant.
- Johnston came through the ranks of Celtic, where he made 93 appearances
- He initially joined West Brom on loan, before signing permanently in 2024
- Johnston has won 17 caps for the Republic of Ireland, scoring twice.
Johnston’s dribbling ability and speed are real assets to the West Brom attack, and if he can add more goals to his game, Baggies fans will be delighted to have kept him in the summer.
Tom Fellows and Torbjorn Heggem moved away for big money instead, and the Albion cannot afford to lose anybody else going into January, so Johnston must be all in now.
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