With the summer transfer window almost upon us, speculation over players’ futures will be growing by the day as contract talks begin at clubs up and down the land.
As teams begin to make plans for the 24/25 campaign, shortlists, targets, and contacts will have been made. You can bet your bottom dollar that Viktor Johansson will be the subject of many whispers this summer as his future is decided.
Despite his team’s weak league standing this season, the Rotherham United custodian has been an exceptional performance. He is among the few Millers players who have drawn attention throughout a dismal campaign.
With Sheffield United and Stoke City already said to have registered their interest in signing the shot-stopper, there is no doubt that plenty more clubs will be joining the queue for his signature during the fast-approaching off-season.
Viktor Johansson impresses for Rotherham United despite Championship struggles
Johansson has ensured that United has maintained rather decent scorelines in the second division despite allowing a league-high 85 goals this season; the Swede has been called into more action than others throughout the year.
The 25-year-old has had little assistance from his colleagues in holding the opponents at bay at New York Stadium. In the 44 league games he has played so far, he has had to block 261 shots on goal; the only other goalkeeper to reach the double century is John Ruddy of Birmingham City.
Despite the fact that the Millers’ efforts have typically gone in fruitless as wave after wave of rival attack finally forces a breakthrough, Johansson has gained a lot of admirers in Yorkshire for his valiant performances in goal.
Sheffield United and Stoke City have already taken notice of the shot-stopper’s rumoured £1 million release clause in his contract, but as the current season draws to a close, the competition for his signing is expected to heat up.
Sheffield United, who has alternated between Wes Foderingham and Ivo Grbic in the Premier League this season and appears headed for a return to the EFL with ten points separating them and safety, is reportedly interested in its next-door rival’s top player.
The Brammall Lane side’s most-recent Championship campaign was built around a solid defensive line – with just 39 goals conceded all season – and Chris Wilder will be looking for a fresh face in goal with Foderingham’s contract set to expire in June.
With Daniel Iversen expected to return to parent club Leicester City at the end of the current campaign, Steven Schumacher’s primary priority for the Potters during the off-season will be finding a replacement custodian.
After Mark Travers’ loan from AFC Bournemouth was terminated earlier in the season and Jack Bonham did not perform well in goal at the end of 2023, Stoke turned to the Foxes loanee.
The contract release clause that Rotherham added to their goalkeeper’s deal will be regretted since a player of his calibre would have undoubtedly drawn a higher price, particularly given the continued interest in such a proven Championship performance.
Birmingham City could be interested in Viktor Johansson during summer transfer window
Another club that could be tempted into a move for Johansson this summer could be Birmingham City, with the Blues facing the prospect of two goalkeepers leaving over the course of the summer.
Both John Ruddy and Neil Etheridge have contracts at St Andrew’s that expire in less than three months’ time, and as of yet there doesn’t seem to be any desire to extend those deals past the end of the season.
That would leave the Blues needing to invest in a first-choice shot-stopper for the following campaign, and if Gary Rowett manages to keep them in the Championship for next season they may be tempted to join the race for the Swede.
Leave a Reply