Manchester United battle Tottenham to sign West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone
Posted by  badge Boss on Apr 13, 2022 - 07:58AM
Sam Johnstone will be available in the summer on a free transfer (Picture: Getty)

will try to fend off Tottenham this summer to sign goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, according to reports.

Johnstone, 29, is keen to get back into the Premier League and has turned down a new contract with the Baggies who are languishing 12th in the Championship.

Speaking at the weekend, West Brom manager Steve Bruce confirmed it was ‘likely’ Johnstone would leave at the end of the season on a free transfer.

According to , United and Tottenham are leading the race for Johnstone but several other clubs are also interested, including Southampton.

Johnstone was on the books at Old Trafford for seven years before moving to the Hawthorns in 2018 and last year told The Mirror why he left.

He said: ‘Leaving United was a tough call. But when you’ve done your loans, banked the experience and David De Gea is still there at No.1 every time you return, you can’t wait around forever.

Johnstone broke into the senior England set-up last year (Picture: Getty)

‘Deep down I knew I wasn’t going to play for Manchester United and I had to go down a different route. It felt crazy to sign for West Brom in the sense that I was becoming somebody else’s player.’

United’s search for a new man between the sticks puts current back-up keeper Dean Henderson’s position at the club in doubt.

Henderson returned to United in August 2020 following an impressive loan spell at Sheffield United for two years.

However, he has failed to battle David De Gea for the No.1 jersey and has hardly featured since going back to Manchester, making just 13 league appearances.

In January, the 25-year-old wanted to leave the club on-loan but was refused permission by interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

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