Sam Johnstone set for move to the Premier League after poor season in the Championship

Sam Johnstone has been linked with a move to the Premier League after West Brom manager Steve Bruce admitted he expects the goalkeeper to leave in the summer.

Johnstone, 29, has reportedly attracted interest from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur along with Southampton.

The former Manchester United academy keeper has represented England three times at senior level and shown he can make an impact at the top level of English club football.

Strengths and Weaknesses

One of Johnstone’s best attributes is his shot-stopping ability. During the 2020/21 season, West Brom’s most recent spell in the Premier League, Johnstone made more saves than any other keeper as he stalled his side’s eventual relegation.

He made 20 more saves than second-place Aaron Ramsdale, who was playing for Sheffield United at the time, and this earned him a call-up to the England national team.

His best performance arguably came against Manchester United in the 2020/21 season. The Red Devils won 1-0 but the Baggies did not deserve to lose from their performance. Johnstone made outstanding saves, most notably from point-blank range against Anthony Martial.

Bruno Fernandes scored the winner from the penalty spot. His initial was saved by Johnstone but had to be retaken after the keeper left his line too early.

A weakness that has been pointed out under different managers has been Johnstone’s capability with his feet. He looked vulnerable in possession in the 2018/19 season when coached by Darren Moore and seemed equally as uncomfortable when playing as a sweeper-keeper under Valerian Ismael more recently.

He has also drawn criticism for his lack of presence and command in his penalty area, an important skill for all goalkeepers.

Premier League comparison

With both David de Gea and Hugo Lloris currently enjoying good form at their club, it is likely that Johnstone will be brought in for competition or as a backup option. Here is how he compares to both Dean Henderson and Pierluigi Gollini, the current ‘number twos’ after Manchester United and Tottenham respectively.

Johnstone has played far more games than both his counterparts. Gollini has played ten games this season and Henderson has only played in three, partially due to reasons off the pitch.

Henderson has the best save percentage of the three goalkeepers (70%), but Johnstone (64%) has faced over eight times as many shots on target compared to his England teammate.

Johnstone has kept 15 clean sheets in his 36 appearances this season and only concedes 0.92 goals per game. Gollini has only kept one clean sheet in his ten games, Henderson is yet to fill this column.

The championship keeper has also registered an assist this season, but his individual mistakes have led to four yellow cards and a red card.

Relationship with the fans

Throughout his time at West Brom, he has had a mixed relationship with the fans. He had a difficult start to life at the club and this was reflected by his struggling connection to the fans. Johnstone proved many fans wrong as he won promotion under Slaven Bilic.

He built a better relationship with the fans during the short spell in the Premier League despite being relegated. This was also boosted when he stayed on at the club despite many expecting a deserved move to a club in the top division.

Johnstone has interacted with fans on social media previously as he responded to negative criticism, something he would need to rethink if he joined a ‘top six’ club. Ultimately, Johnstone’s relationship with West Brom fans can epitomise the club’s reputation of bouncing up and down the top leagues in England.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt