West Ham hand Leeds United potential blow in pursuit of summer signing | OneFootball

Out-of-contract defender Ben Johnson has been offered new a five-year deal by West Ham United amid interest from Leeds United, according to The Athletic.

Johnson is a player who Leeds were linked to in January, and he has been set to leave this summer, with The Athletic reporting earlier in the year that the 24-year-old was willing to run down his contract with West Ham.

That will make him a free agent in the coming unless the Hammers agree to last-minute fresh terms. Johnson is a player who the Whites have had a long-standing interest in (Sunday Mirror (21/04, p71) and it seemed that they could be in with a chance of signing the defender.

Johnson has come through the ranks at the Hammers, playing for the club’s U-18s, U-21s, and the first team. The 24-year-old made his debut during the 2018/19 season, and since then, he has gone on to play 109 times for the club in various competitions.

He hasn’t spent any time away from the club, but he hasn’t been able to break consistently into David Moyes' plans in recent years. That was shown in the 2023/24 campaign, as he played just 14 times in the league and played another eight games in the Europa League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.

That's despite the fact Johnson can operate on both sides, which could be a boost for a side that are set to lose the likes of Stuart Dallas, Luke Ayling, Cody Drameh, and Jamie Shackleton from their pool of full-back options this month, as it stands.

Junior Firpo's future remains unclear, meaning Johnson's signing could be a huge boost to Daniel Farke's options for 2024/25, whilst also potentially freeing up Archie Gray to develop in his best role in the centre of midfield.

Johnson has plenty of upsides for Farke as a sensible squad-building option, and it looked as though Leeds stood a chance of signing him up until recently. According to Football Insider, Johnson was set to leave the Hammers when his contract expires at the end of the month.

It was reported that the Premier League side made late efforts to try and secure the player on a new contract, but it was rejected by Johnson, who is now looking to take advantage of being a free agent and secure a long-term contract elsewhere.

That's with it being reported by The Athletic in April that Leeds were continuing to keep an eye on Johnson amid his contract situation. The report also stated at the time that Rangers remained interested in the player, too.

Now, the latest comes from The Athletic once again, who report that West Ham have offered Johnson a "new and improved five-year deal"

It is understood that Crystal Palace are another club interested in Johnson, who has rejected multiple offers from the Hammers already.

However, this latest offer is said to be on improved terms, with new boss Julen Lopetegui keen for him to stay, and has left him considering all his options, with the defender thought to want assurances over playing time.

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A potential blow for Leeds United

The question will come down to whether the Whites can compete with West Ham in terms of the pay packet because they will be able to give him the much-needed assurances of game time. Farke's side really struggled at both full-back positions this season, as they didn’t have the depth needed to cope with the number of games they played.

The likes of Sam Byram and Firpo took up the lion's share of minutes, but neither are the most reliable when it comes to injuries. Johnson could also be the ideal foil for a left-back like Firpo, on the right flank, as a more defensive option to work in tandem with an attack-minded, overlapping left-back. The 24-year-old would be a sensible addition for Leeds, if not spectacular.

The Whites adding someone like Johnson would be an excellent decision, as he can play at right-back and left-back, but more importantly, he would be an upgrade on what they currently have and, therefore, make them a better team overall.

Other full-backs may have more dynamism than Johnson, but he would bring plenty of experience at a fairly young age, as well as physical robustness and athleticism Leeds require in their back line, and all of it would come for free as well, if they can agree terms.

He is the ideal fit for the opposite defensive role, by creating a situational back-three in possession as the defensive and more athletic option to allow Firpo greater freedom to attack the space down the side, and to work in tandem with Leeds' midfield by inverting into central spaces in moments, too.