Shilen Patel must allow aggressive Celtic transfer advance at West Brom: View | OneFootball

Regardless of whether promotion via the play-offs is achieved or not, this season has been largely successful from a West Bromwich Albion perspective.

The remarkable transformation of the Baggies under Carlos Corberan's management wasn't just evident in their eventual fifth-place finish, but also their style of play under the Spaniard.

Corberan has assembled a high-end Championship squad - mainly on a shoestring budget, given the well-documented financial problems prior to Shilen Patel's takeover in February. However, now more funding and resources will be made available - Premier League or not - it makes total sense for the new chairman to acquire the services of their star loanee on a permanent basis.

That's in reference to Mikey Johnston, who has had a profound impact on this Albion outfit since his January loan move from SPFL giants, Celtic.

Many have been aware of the winger's pedigree for quite some time, but for one reason or another, under numerous managers, Johnston hadn't quite been able to showcase his talent on the Parkhead stage, leaving him with little choice but to move south of the border.

But, the winger has put in a number of credible performances, none more so than a terrific spell which followed his opening goal for the club, just minutes after making his home debut against Cardiff City on February 1st.

We also saw great similarity in a number of his finishes, particularly against Plymouth Argyle and Coventry City, where the Republic of Ireland international was able to manouvre himself through tight spaces before bending two gorgeous efforts into almost the same spot at Home Park and The Hawthorns.

However, the game which typified his impact in such a short period was Albion's 4-1 away success over Huddersfield Town on February 17th, which saw him receive an 8.6 'Player of the Match' rating from Sofascore, which saw him rack up two goals and an assist alongside other impressive metrics such as two key passes and a 79% pass completion ratio.

Celtic loanee has remained consistent

Whilst the amount of goal contributions from Johnston himself has dried up since the end of the March international break, with the only one of those coming in the 2-2 away draw with Stoke City on April 6th, Johnston's performances have continued to be consistent, failing to drop below a 6.6 rating since the start of April, a trend which continued in the opening leg of the Baggies' play-off semi-final with Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

In what was a cagey affair in B71, the Hoops loanee still remained one of the more constant threats, which was once again echoed by metrics such as two key passes and three accurate crosses, on top of an attempt in the eighth minute which failed to trouble Alex McCarthy.

Johnston's best performances for the club have arguably come away from 'The Shrine'. Therefore, in a game where the pressure is on Southampton, having someone with Johnston's pace, directness and technical ability could be a key weapon for Corberan, if his side is to book their place at Wembley on Sunday, May 26th.

West Brom must target permanent Mikey Johnston deal ASAP

Earlier on in the calendar year, Johnston put on record the impact Corberan has had on his football in such a short period, which is why it makes sense for Albion to secure a permanent deal as soon as they possibly can.

"I came here because Carlos was keen to get me in. When he spoke to me, I could tell right away that he was keen on improving me. He knew I had not reached the levels I should have at this stage of my career," he told the Irish Sun.

"I felt like I wasn't playing as much as I wanted to so I was unable to show my full potential. I've been in and around Celtic for a long time and know the sort of player I am but just being able to get the minutes to show it and score goals and get assists is something I've always wanted to do. The more time and chances I get the more confidence I am getting."

Whilst Celtic are now in pole position to clinch yet another SPFL title and embark on a European adventure once again, going back as a bit-part player would only prove to be detrimental to Johnston's future prospects.

If he stayed in the West Midlands and was able to project his current goal output across a full 46-game season, it would no doubt have West Brom in a similar position next year if they stayed down, in what is arguably a weaker division on paper given the sides coming down from the Premier League.

Johnston is under contract at Parkhead until the summer of 2026, and given his form, Celtic have every right to demand a fair price, but Patel should be prepared to be aggressive in any forthcoming negotiations if a permanent deal is to be secured.