Luton Town, Sheffield United and Preston North End in 3-way transfer tussle for Motherwell man | OneFootball

Luton Town, Preston North End and Sheffield United are all believed to have been keeping tabs on the 19-year-old right-back, who has broken into the Steelmen’s first-team recently after loan spells at Queen of the South last season and Cove Rangers earlier in the current campaign – both in the second tier of Scottish football.

Although he made his debut for Motherwell in the 2020-21 season as a 17-year-old, Johnston was handed a chance by now-sacked manager Steven Hammell in early January when his temporary spell with Cove Rangers ended.

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Johnston has featured in eight matches since and netted his first Motherwell goal this week in a 2-1 victory over St. Mirren as he bagged from a tight angle after bursting forward from his wing-back position.

Johnston’s contract comes to an end this summer at Fir Park, with cross-border compensation rules meaning that English clubs would only have to pay a minimal fee if they want to sign the young defender.

And his recent emergence into Scottish football’s top flight has led to increased interest in his services as he looks to cement his place in the Motherwell starting 11 for the rest of the season.

The Verdict

With Johnston available on the cheap if he doesn’t sign a new contract with Motherwell before the summer, it is no surprise to see English clubs keeping tabs.

In-fact, a pre-contract could be reached before the 2022-23 season has even finished, and with the way Johnston has slotted into the Motherwell side in recent weeks, any interested clubs may have to move quickly.

This looks to be more of a Luton or Preston North End-esque signing though as opposed to Sheffield United – he would likely go into the Blades’ under-21 side whereas at the Hatters or the Lilywhites he would have more of a chance of some first-team minutes immediately.

Should Johnston continue to perform though for Motherwell, more clubs are likely to enter the race, so it could be a case of who acts the quickest.