West Bromwich Albion have rejected a bid for goalkeeper Sam Johnstone from West Ham United, according to David Ornstein.
West Brom Reject Sam Johnstone Bid
Johnstone Deal Expires Summer 2022
Johnstone’s current deal with West Brom runs until summer 2022 and if he does not sign a new deal prior to that, he will be eligible to leave on a free transfer. The Baggies are looking for a fee in excess of £10 million for the 28-year-old. However, West Ham’s offer was considerably below that figure. According to the report, West Ham submitted the bid last Wednesday. It is unlikely to see the Hammers come back with an improved bid for a player with just 12 months left on his contract.
What’s Next for the Two Parties?
West Ham are trying to sign a successor and backup for Lukasz Fabianski, whose deal expires next summer. The Polish keeper is now 36, which makes it unlikely for him to continue with the Hammers after the upcoming season. West Ham might go for Alphonse Areola of Paris Saint-Germain, who impressed last season on loan at Fulham. With the Europa League campaign to plan for, the London side has to improve their squad this season.
On the other hand, some other clubs are monitoring the status of Sam Johnstone. North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in him as they both look to sign a backup goalkeeper. Johnstone impressed last season despite suffering relegation from the Premier League. West Brom might have to let him leave for a lower fee later in the window, especially with just a year left on his current deal. However, for now, the Baggies seem reluctant to reduce their valuation of the England-international. It will be interesting to see if later in the window West Brom reject Sam Johnstone bid of a similar value.
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