Journalist Ryan Taylor has claimed that Jack Butland might leave Crystal Palace in the summer due to the potential signing of Sam Johnstone.
There have been reports that Palace are the frontrunners to bring the West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper to the Premier League in the summer, with his current contract at the Championship side set to expire, while he is not expected to sign a new deal at The Hawthorns.
Palace already have Vicente Guaita and Butland as goalkeepers at the club. The Spaniard is the current first-choice, having featured 30 times in the Premier League this past campaign, whereas Butland made just nine appearances for the Eagles in the league.
With the reports that Johnstone is close to becoming a Palace player, Taylor highlighted to GiveMeSport that Butland could be the one to make way for him in the summer.
He said: “I think Butland might go. I can’t see them having three senior ‘keepers there, it wouldn’t make much sense, if I’m being honest.”
Do you think Butland will leave Palace?Yes
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TIF Thoughts on Taylor’s comments…
Butland, who has been lauded as a ‘good character in the dressing room’ by Patrick Vieira, has spent plenty of time out of the Palace team since he signed for the club, making just 17 appearances in all competitions in the two seasons that he has been at Selhurst Park. So it might be a good option for all parties if he was to move on in the summer.
Johnstone will likely go into the Palace starting XI if he signed at Selhurst Park, with current No 1 Guaita being 35 years old, so he could take a step back and be the backup where he would maybe feature more in the cup competitions and let Johnstone take the helm in the league.
The Baggies goalkeeper has been named in England squads even when playing in the Championship for West Brom, so a move back to the Premier League could do him some good in terms of putting himself in the mix for World Cup contention.