Linked with a January transfer to Aston Villa last month, Championship rivals Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers also want Sam Johnstone this winter, report HITC.
According to the story, Manchester United’s third choice goalkeeper will be allowed out on loan this January and in a mad scramble for his services, Aston Villa won’t have it easy in pursuit of the 23-year-old.
With Pierluigi Gollini struggling to convince in the Villans’ goal so far, incoming Villa boss Steve Bruce has retained the Italian in goal but has had one eye on Johnstone taking over in the New Year.
While his first team prospects at Old Trafford are slim with David De Gea and Sergio Romero ahead of him in the pecking order, Johnstone is actually under contract with the Red Devils until 2018, signing a new deal with an extension option.
Having already spent eight separate loan spells away from Manchester United, it is looking more likely that Johnstone will be completing his ninth in two months’ time.
Aston Villa will hope their status as arguably the biggest club in the Football League is enough to convince Johnstone to see out the 2016/17 campaign in the West Midlands.