Crystal Palace will be shocked if Ben Johnson does not move to Selhurst Park if he leaves fellow London club West Ham United this summer.
According to a report by Give Me Sport, Ben Johnson is the subject of interest from Crystal Palace. The Eagles are in the market for a right-back heading into the summer transfer window. And they are confident of securing the services of the 24-year-old defender if he leaves fellow London Premier League club West Ham United as a free agent.
Ben Johnson and his frustrating tale
Ben Johnson has been a dependable backup option for West Ham United since graduating to the first-team squad at the London Stadium. A native of London, the English defender rose through the ranks at West Ham United before making his first-team debut as a 19-year-old in February 2019.
The 24-year-old was once a promising right-back but has spent most of his senior career playing second-fiddle to Vladimir Coufal. That has also been the case this season, with Johnson not even managing 1,000 minutes of game time thus far. So, it is hardly surprising that the former English youth international might leave West Ham as a free agent in the summer transfer window.
The Englishman has entered the final six months of his contract, with talks over a new deal not progressing. Such a situation has piqued the attention of other London-based Premier League clubs, with recent reports linking him with Tottenham Hotspur. But Johnson’s next destination might be Crystal Palace.
Move across London on the cards?
Crystal Palace’s interest in Ben Johnson is understandable. The Eagles are in the market for a right-back due to the advancing years of Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne. So, it behoves Crystal Palace to invest in a right-back, with the West Ham United defender emerging as a viable target.
The 24-year-old will not cost a bomb, considering he will soon be a free agent and currently pockets £20,000-a-week wages. Crystal Palace can potentially hike his salary as he will arrive at Selhurst Park in a Bosman move. And the Eagles are optimistic of landing the Englishman in the summer transfer window.
Such is Crystal Palace’s confidence that the South London club will be shocked if he does not arrive at Selhurst Park. But it will be interesting to see if some other suitor can turn Johnson’s head in the coming months.
