If the £6 million top-experienced Celtic deal affects other areas, West Brom cannot commit to it: Look at
Following their heartbreaking loss to Southampton in the play-offs in May, West Brom will be looking to push for promotion again the following year.
Since taking over as Steve Bruce’s replacement at The Hawthorns in October 2022, Carlos Corberan has performed admirably, assembling a championship-caliber squad while staying completely debt-free.
However, with Shilen Patel having successfully taken over Albion and put a stop to the terrible rule of former owner Guochuan Lai, that ought to change this summer.
West Brom will aim for a reunion with Mikey Johnston.
Though Patel has previously told fans that it will be a “challenge” to “operate within the league’s financial rules,” the team won’t be squandering money now that the window is open.
As such, finding deals will be the recruiting team’s job, which can cause them some trouble if they want to get Mikey Johnston back to The Hawthorns.
The Ireland international came to Albion from Celtic on loan in January, and it’s safe to say that Corberan helped him thrive.
The winger scored seven goals in 20 appearances, some of which were superb solo efforts that truly brought his talent to light.
In addition, Johnston’s ability to carry the ball, release pressure with his quickness on the counter, and provide an outlet down the wing made him a continual danger.
It is doubtful that Johnston will be a part of Brendan Rodgers’ plans at Parkhead going ahead, despite his performances in the Championship, therefore a summer transfer is definitely a possibility.
However, it has been reported that the Scottish champions, who still have two years left on his Glasgow deal, would seek £6 million for the 25-year-old.
When you consider Johnston’s age, skill level, and his experience in the second tier, that price is reasonable, but it may cause issues for Albion.
This summer, West Brom has a number of issues to fix.
As previously mentioned, the club will need to give some acquisitions priority because of the budgetary restrictions in place.
In light of this, it’s difficult to argue that £6 million, a sizeable portion of the budget, should be spent on a winger.
First and foremost, Albion will require defensive reinforcements since Cedrik Kipre, a key player, is expected to search for a new team once his contract expires. They may need a few center-back alternatives as Kyle Bartley has not yet signed a contract extension, and the former Motherwell player was a vital member of the defense.
