Leeds United are on the verge of making a £10m bid for Wolves shot-stopper and England international Sam Johnstone, according to Alan Nixon on his patreon account.
The Whites are on the verge of promotion to the top flight, which could be secured as soon as Easter Monday, dependant on Burnley getting a win or even a draw against Sheffield United and Leeds winning at Elland Road against Stoke City.
Daniel Farke’s side have scored an impressive 83 goals as they look to return to the Premier League. They have also conceded 29 during that time, much of which were preventable. The Championship has been unforgiving for current Leeds Keeper Illan Meslier and several high-profile mistakes have meant the Frenchman has lost his place to former Newcastle man Karl Darlow in the past few weeks. Farke now appears to be testing the waters on someone he sees as a more reliable number one in the Premier League.
The Elland Road outfit would surely have already had an eye on the upcoming summer transfer window as they look to strengthen, but it is now clear that a new number one will, most likely, be one of their first signings, regardless of whether they get promoted or not. It would seem that Leeds have one shot-stopper in particular within their sights.
Johnstone has spent much of the season as Wolves sub goalkeeper being unable to jump the line ahead of current number one Jose Sa and even former Bristol City stopper Dan Bentley, who was thrown in against Manchester United as Sa injured himself in the warm-up. Bentley did his chances no harm as Wanderers ran out 1-0 winners at Old Trafford. Leeds have also been mentioned as a destination for both Burnley keeper James Trafford and Newcastle man Nick Pope, although they appear to be out of Farke’s price range.
Johnstone does not appear to be in favour at Wolves and could be looking for a clean break and a key factor could well be the departure of the goalkeeping coach who was behind his move from Crystal Palace to Wolves in 2024. The 32-year-old is entering a crucial part of his career and the former West Brom man will want to play a lot more consistently than has been the case this season. Johnstone also appeared 4 times for the England national team between 2021 and 2023.
In the 10 matches Johnstone has started this season in all competitions, he has kept one clean sheet and conceded 19 goals so would he be as consistent as Leeds would need?
Writers’ View
Meslier has struggled this season with several high-profile blunders and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave Elland Road, although it would be for a fee with his contract running out in 2026. If that is the case, Farke will be under no illusions that he will need a solid man between the sticks.
With Johnstone coming with experience with England, Crystal Palace and West Brom, it’s not a surprise to see his name mentioned and at £10m it would be a fraction of the cost of a Trafford or a Pope. This could have legs to it.
Karl Darlow and Sam Johnstone could well be fighting it out for the number one jersey next season.
