West Brom talks over permanent Mikey Johnston transfer mooted, Celtic may want more
Don Goodman believes West Brom will already be working on a permanent deal for Mikey Johnston, but expects Celtic to now hold out for a larger fee.
Johnston has been in superb form for Albion since arriving on loan at The Hawthorns in January, having scored six goals and assisted another in 10 Championship appearances.
The Republic of Ireland international will no doubt be of interest to the Baggies ahead of the summer transfer window, but his performances on loan may have seen his valuation climb.
Speaking to West Brom News, former Albion striker Goodman said: "You'd like to think they'd be making moves for him already, to be honest, with how well he's done.
"He seems to be loving life in the Black Country at The Hawthorns. He's loving the team, who seem a tight-knit group. They're a good group, a professional and experienced group.
"That will help him to understand the game and his development. He's started at West Brom like a house on fire, beyond even his own wildest dreams.
"He's scored some amazing goals and is really propelling the team into that fifth spot. I'm not saying anything that nobody else would be saying to be honest.
"It's obvious how well he's done and it's be a good permanent capture if West Brom can get a deal over the line for him.
"But there's no doubt his price tag would have increased in a short amount of time in terms of what Celtic would want to allow him to go."
Celtic could cash in on Mikey Johnston in summer transfer window
Johnston has another year to run on his Celtic Park contract, so the Scottish heavyweights may consider this summer the last realistic chance to make a profit on him.
The problem with a player performing so well on loan is that it decreases the chances of then signing them permanently down the line.
However, Johnston was clearly struggling for starts north of the border and a reasonable offer may well be accepted.
The advantage West Brom have is that the 24-year-old has already seen up close what is possible at The Hawthorns and he may favour being part of this project over joining a team battling for Premier League survival, say.
Now that Shilen Patel is at the helm, Albion fans can finally expect to see a fee paid for a player or two in the summer. If that is going to be the case, let's just hope Johnston is at the very top of the list.
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