West Brom are interested in signing Celtic’s Mikey Johnston ahead of the deadline.
West Brom have an interest in Celtic’s Mikey Johnston as they look to add more creativity to Carlos Corberan’s squad ahead of the deadline.
West Brom keen on Mikey Johnston
Albion have signed versatile forward Andi Weimann this month, but it is no secret that Carlos Corberan is hunting for another winger in the transfer market.
However, The Hawthorns’ financial woes under owner Guochuan Lai limit what the Baggies may achieve.
As a result, the recruiting team is searching for loan deals, and it has been reported that Celtic’s Liel Abada is on Albion’s radar, while Watford and Southampton are also interested in the Israeli international. With Abada a crucial player under Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead, a January transfer appears unlikely.
However, the Daily Mail reports that Abada’s teammate Johnston is also a target for West Brom.
The 24-year-old has struggled to establish himself as a regular under Rodgers this season, and the manager has chastised the Ireland international for failing to seize opportunities.
With Abada now completely fit and Nicolas Kuhn recruited from Rapid Vienna, Johnston may struggle to get into the XI going forward, therefore a loan move may be more plausible.
Mikey Johnston’s career so far
The Glasgow-born winger, who can play down either flank, has shown flashes of his quality over the years, but he has struggled for consistency.
Johnston’s time at Celtic appeared to be finished when he joined Vitoria Guimaraes on loan last season, but he has played eight league games for Rodgers this season, scoring twice.
Johnston has now made 90 appearances for the Scottish champions since his debut in 2017.
Mikey Johnston could be a gamble worth taking for West Brom
There’s a lot of expectancy at Celtic, so it can be difficult for young players when they break through, particularly when they’re local lads, and it does seem to have impacted Johnston.
On his best day, he can look like a quality player since he can beat players, possesses speed, and demonstrates excellent close control and skill. However, he does not appear frequently enough, and it appears that he will need to leave Celtic to advance his career.
Albion are not in a position to spend money on a proven Championship winger, so they must take a chance, and Johnston is a bet that could pay off.
They’d be acquiring a talented winger, and Corberan may be the coach Johnston needs to improve his game while also providing him a chance in the team.
West Brom are hoping for promotion, but injuries have been a major concern, with Matt Phillips’ absence leaving them short on numbers out wide.
So, this is a move that could benefit all parties, and it will be interesting to see if it is finished before the deadline next week.
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