Man United asked to fork out £20m to re-sign former Old Trafford reject | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion to seek £20m from Manchester United for Sam Johnstone

According to The Telegraph (Subscription Required), Manchester United will need to fork out £20m to sign West Bromwich Albion star Sam Johnstone.

The Baggies will demand the aforementioned amount if they are relegated from the English top-flight. Sam Allardyce’s side are 10 points from safety with just four games to go.

Johnstone has been one of the better performers in what has been a poor season for West Brom. Having just come up from the Championship, they look set for an early return this summer.

Johnstone has in fact made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the division. This has garnered interest from not just United but also West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The 28-year-old has just over a year left on his current deal. Given his current stock, the Baggies could very well demand top dollar for him in the summer.

The Englishman came through the ranks at United but failed to make it at the senior level for the club. He left United to join the Baggies permanently in 2018 and has since gone from strength to strength.

Not much in it for him!

With senior goalkeeper David de Gea potentially on his way out, Dean Henderson could very well be the new No.1 on a permanent basis. The Red Devils will still need to bring in an experienced backup and this is where Johnstone comes in.

However, it remains to be seen if Johnstone is keen on a return. After all, he not only has a taste of first-team football but has also been with Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Returning to United only to reprise his role as a backup would be underwhelming. After all, that was the very reason he even left United in the first place.

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As things stand, West Ham are in the driving seat to land the Englishman. Not only is manager David Moyes familiar with him but West Ham can also offer the player a substantial first-team role, something United cannot.

Interestingly, United have a sell-on clause of around 15% inserted into Johnstone’s contract with West Brom. This could help drive down the asking price if we do choose to make a move.