Liverpool defender Glen Johnson could move to Serie A side AS Roma in the summer and follow in the footsteps of English compatriot Ashley Cole.
Johnson’s current contract runs until the summer and after no progression in contract talks, it’s likely that he’ll leave for free come the end of the season. Jonathan Barnett, Johnson’s agent, revealed that despite no talks with Roma for a possible move, he could make the switch considering his former England team-mate’s good opinion about the place, “We’ve had no contact with Roma, although Roma would be a lovely place for him. Ashley Cole absolutely adores it there, I represent him as well.
“Ashley thinks very highly of Rome, but we’ve had no contact with Roma regarding Glen.
“He’s obviously looking for things at the moment. He’s looking at many clubs.
“Glen is obviously looking for somewhere where he can turn around his career – that’s the most important thing for him – where he can play nicely under a good club that’s challenging for things. That is where he wants to be.”
Johnson was provided a short-term deal with reduced wages when compared to his current wages of A?120,000-a-week which he rejected. As a result, the club could let him go in the summer. Johnson’s displays in the last two seasons have come under scrutiny as his defending isn’t something that he will be proud of. With Rodgers employing a new 3-4-2-1 formation, Johnson could have made an even better contribution from an attacking sense which is his strength, however, injuries have restricted him to just 14 Premier League appearances with most of those from the bench.
The good form of Jordon Ibe, Raheem Sterling, Javier Manquillo and Adam Lallana, who have played in the right wing back position has further hampered Johnson’s game time. At 30, Johnson still has a lot of football left in him and will move to a club which promises him first team football. With the Euro 2016 on the horizon, game time will be key if Johnson wants to play in France next year.
The former Portsmouth man has made 193 appearances with Liverpool and had won the League Cup with the reds in 2011. A move to Roma could materialise in the summer as the Rudi Garcia has done some shrewd business in the last two seasons after identifying players like Maicon, Ashley Cole, Gervinho and others and signing them for next to nothing.