West Ham-linked Sam Johnstone could leave on a free next summer
West Ham-linked goalkeeper Sam Johnstone could leave on a free next summer, claims Express and Star journalist Luke Hatfield.
The Hammers have been linked with the England Euro 2020 keeper all summer and also had a £6million bid turned down for him. [Sky Sports]
Eventually, they ended up signing Alphonse Areola, but could keep tabs on Johnstone as he would be available on a free next summer if he doesn’t move in the next few weeks or sign an extension at the Hawthorns.
Speaking to Transfer Tavern about the player’s future, Hatfield said, “Yeah, there is always that opportunity because clubs will look at it and say ‘why should we pay money for you now when in a year’s time, you’re out of contract and we can sign you for free?’
“The risk that they play then, of course, is that the summer comes and then there are six or seven clubs interested in Sam Johnstone and all of a sudden, you’ve got to offer improved terms over all of those.
“You’ll maybe end up paying more wages than you’d hope to for him and a signing-on fee as well. Although you don’t pay a transfer fee, you’ll probably shell out a pretty hefty signing-on fee for him.”
Good Fabianski replacement?
Areola may have come through the door this summer but there’s no guarantee that he will be a success at the club.
We know that Lukasz Fabianski is 36 and would need replacing soon, and if Areola is not capable enough to fit into his shoes, then we would need to sign another keeper next summer.
If we were willing to pay a reasonable fee for Johnstone this summer, we could explore the possibility of bringing him in twelve months for a free transfer.
There’s no doubt that he’s extremely talented and is the same age as Areola, 28, making him a good option for the foreseeable future.
Last season, Johnstone actually performed better than the new Hammers signing – which makes a very good case for him being our future number one.
Per fbref, he averaged one save per game more than Areola and also was more involved in the buildup by registering seven more passes per 90 minutes than the then Fulham goalkeeper.
Clubs often have two good goalkeepers vying for one spot and it keeps the preferred first-choice option on his toes and only pushes him to get better.
Fabianski may lose his spot as a regular starter this coming season and could leave at the end of next season as he only has one year left on his current deal at the London Stadium.
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