West Ham United defender Ben Johnson drops to reserves amid Tuesday development
West Ham defender Ben Johnson drops to reserves amid Tuesday, 7 November game against Cheltenham Town for the under-21s.
The Englishman has found game time hard to come by this season with David Moyes option for Vladimir Coufal.
Claret and Hugh reported on 4 November that the Hammers were open to the sale of the 23-year-old over the summer.
Proving his worth?
Johnson has shown promise as a versatile full-back and has garnered attention for his performances.
However, West Ham’s current squad depth in the full-back positions might limit his opportunities for regular playing time, hindering his growth.
This means that even he could be the one forcing an exit and the Hammers are unlikely to retain his services if that is the case.
They will even get a decent transfer fee if they look to cash in in the January transfer window so it makes very little sense to keep him on till the summer.
A well-structured deal could include a buy-back clause or sell-on percentage, ensuring that if Johnson continues to develop into a top talent, the club can benefit from his success in the future.
It remains to be seen how the club handles his saga if he does end up demanding an exit which is very much a possibility.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are now frustrated with a £10m player as a behind-the-scenes revelation has emerged from the London Stadium.