Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a summer move for West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone for a number of months now.
Johnstone looks set to leave West Brom when his current contract runs out in the summer, and as we near the end of the season, reports linking the England shot-stopper with a move to North London are heating up.
Earlier this week, Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett backed Spurs to rival Manchester United for the signing of Johnstone this summer, with the player now almost certainly set to leave on a Bosman.
Here’s three things Spurs should know about Johnstone ahead of their probably summer swoop:
Prone to the odd blunder…
For goalkeepers, when they make a mistake on the pitch it often ends in a goal. Johnstone like any other goalkeeper makes the odd mistake but this season, he’s made a handful of costly errors which have led to goals.
Just last month, he was caught out by an on-rushing attacker (see tweet below) which led to a Huddersfield Town goal – in the Premier League where attackers are constantly going to be closing goalkeepers down, Johnstone could be targeted.
𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑! 😱
Sam Johnstone smashes the ball straight at the onrushing Danny Ward & the ball trickles into the empty net.
West Brom 0-1 Huddersfield pic.twitter.com/6YbSQmxWbm
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 11, 2022
England aspirations…
Earlier in the year, Johnstone confirmed that he’s eager to seal a Premier League move this summer in order to boost his chances of making the England squad at this year’s World Cup.
But a move to either Manchester United or Spurs would no doubt see Johnstone go in as a no.2 choice goalkeeper, so either manager would surely have to promise him a certain amount of game-time before the winter break for the World Cup.
Whether Manchester United or Spurs would entrust Johnstone with a stint as their regular no.1 in the Premier League remains to be seen, especially with both club’s having preferred no.1 goalkeepers as it stands.
Johnstone, the creator…
Johnstone showed last season that he’s a top goalkeeper. Although this season has been a struggle, he’s maintained his Premier League pedigree and looks set to join a top flight side in the summer.
But not only is Johnstone commanding in his penalty box, athletic and so on, but he also has good distribution with both his hands and feet.
Johnstone can quickly start counter-attacks with his long throws or accurate long passes, which could make him ideal for a team like Spurs who love to be explosive in their attacking play.
Sam Johnstone has created more chances this season than the following players:
Femi Azeez
Rhian Brewster
James Collins
Danny Drinkwater
Scott Hogan
Duane Holmes
Andy King
Ryan Leonard
Jamal Lowe
Han-Noah MassengoAll midfielders/forwards who have played +270 minutes 👀#WBA pic.twitter.com/hu5yS9R1U8
— The Second Tier (@secondtierpod) October 15, 2021
