Should Aston Villa shell out £6.5m to sign Manchester United loanee Sam Johnstone permanently?
Manchester United loanee Sam Johnstone has enjoyed a spectacular season with Aston Villa and has established himself as a mainstay for the club. There have been talks of whether or not they should sign him on a permanent basis but if they do, the club might have to shell out a sum in the region of £6.5m.
Villa are in the reckoning for a promotion to the top-flight and if they are able to make the leap, signing Johnstone on a permanent basis will definitely be a good idea.
Johnstone joined Villa on loan about a year ago and he wasted no time in establishing himself as Steve Bruce’s No. 1 choice. Not only has he appeared frequently for them but he has also played quite a prominent role in their quest to seal a promotion to the top-flight.
His current contract with Manchester United runs until 2019, meaning Villa will have a decision to make about his future. While the price might be a bit over their budget, there is no denying that it makes more sense for Johnstone to continue with Villa permanently.
As far as United are concerned, they currently have David De Gea and Sergio Romero at hand, meaning Jose Mourinho will have little to no use for Johnstone.
In fact, they might just send him out on loan once more. Hence, it makes more sense for Villa to snap him up instead. That said, the only stumbling block for them could be the financial aspect of it. A move for him might not be feasible at that rate if the club fails to qualify for the Premier League by the end of the season.
Ultimately, it seems like it will all come down to whether or not they get promoted. If they remain in the Championship beyond the end of this campaign, it could be an unwise move for them to splash so much money on a goalkeeper. Furthermore, doing so would prevent them from making important additions to other areas in the squad and that is something Steve Bruce cannot afford to risk.
Thus, we will have to wait and watch how things play out in this scenario. Ideally, Villa must sign him on a permanent base but in this case, they can only do so if they make it to the top tier of English football. And given the intensity of competition this season, earning a promotion will certainly not be a walk in the park.
However, if they do manage to make it, Villa must acquire his signature at all costs.