Rangers and manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst are eyeing a summer move for current West Brom and England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, according to reports.
Johnstone has been a rock for a struggling West Brom side who have faced relegation and Championship mediocrity in the last two seasons under managers Sam Allardyce, Valerien Ismael and Steve Bruce. Unsurprisingly, this has led to Johnstone running down his contract with the Midlands team without the intent of signing an extension.
Since rumours of his departure have begun, Johnstone has attracted a number of suitors that Rangers will have to battle for his signature. English Premier League teams like Spurs, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Southampton are all in the chase for the England international.
During his time at West Brom, Johnstone has racked up 165 appearances and kept 44 clean sheets in that time. His spells at Aston Villa and Preston North End are also notable as he kept 30 clean sheets in 70 appearances for the Villans and 13 in 29 at Deepdale. (Transfermarkt)
Baggies manager Steve Bruce dubbed the player as a ‘diamond‘ during his time at Aston Villa and that he is ‘a typical goalkeeper who wants to learn’, proving as well as a great player, Johnstone is also a good personality to have in the dressing room.
So why should Rangers make an all-out move for the shot-stopper?
Well… He’s free!
This one is simple, by signing Johnstone over another ‘keeper of his calibre, the board and club would be saving millions as he is a free agent come the end of the season. All the club will need to pay out for is his contract demands, and due to the lack of a transfer fee, they could offer him a more sizeable wage than he is currently on at West Brom.
As of November 2021, Rangers revealed they were operating at a loss of £23.5m for last season, £7.5m more than in the 19/20 campaign. This is largely down to the impact of the pandemic but regardless, snapping up a player like Johnstone will only help them now and in the future.
Need to replace McGregor
Maybe even more important than the minimal cost of Johnstone is the fact the club desperately need to replace long-term goalkeeper Allan McGregor, who turned 40 in January. The Scotsman has racked up an impressive 318 caps for the club over his two spells, but his best days are perhaps behind him despite holding on to the No 1 jersey.
Replacing McGregor could be the difference between Rangers’ current position of second in the SPFL and taking home the trophy come the end of next season, and a player like Johnstone could help their chances even more if he were to hit the ground running at Ibrox.
The West Brom goalkeeper is only 29 and still has a lot of years ahead of him, so getting him in now for the criminal price of nothing should be right at the top of Van Bronckhorst’s wishlist.