West Brom pulled off a brilliant piece of business with the January loan signing of Mikey Johnston.
The winger made the move to The Hawthorns from Celtic, and has since become one of the most dangerous attackers in the Championship.
Johnston had endured a quiet first half of the season with the Scottish champions. He had made just 12 appearances for the club, only four of which were as a starter.
However, he has thrived for West Brom. In nine appearances for Carlos Corberan’s side, he has scored six goals – many spectacular – and provided one assist.
That has helped the Baggies to cement their place in the Championship play-off places. As a result, they will surely be interested in a permanent move for the winger come the summer.
Here, we break down a potential move…
Mikey Johnston Celtic contract
Johnston came through the youth ranks at Celtic, and made his first-team debut for the club in May 2017.
There are currently just over two years remaining on the winger’s contract with Celtic. That secures his future in Glasgow until the end of the 2025/26 season.
As a result, they will be in a position to respond to any offer that comes in from West Brom for the signing of Johnston come the summer.
Mikey Johnston wages
According to Salary Sport, Johnston is currently earning £7,900 per week through his Celtic contract.
That works out to £410,800 per year. By contrast, Salary Sport states that West Brom’s highest paid player, Okay Yokuslu, earns £29,000 per week, or £1.508million.
Mikey Johnston transfer value
Transfermarkt value Johnston at €1.2million, which works out at £1.03million. FootballTransfer meanwhile, value the winger at €800,000, or £686,888.
Can West Brom sign Mikey Johnston permanently
It would be a very good piece of business for the Baggies if they can get Johnston on a permanent basis.
The winger has been excellent for West Brom since he arrived, and they will surely want to keep him.
However, his form means Celtic may well want to retain his services. Indeed, Brendan Rodgers has suggested the situation will be assessed at the end of the season.
His contract situation means the Scottish giants are not under pressure to sell this summer.
It is also worth noting that Johnston’s form for West Brom may well have attracted attention from other clubs as well.
That too, could push up the price of a potential permanent deal for Johnston. Even so, the recent takeover at The Hawthorns by Shilen Patel may lead to some hope that there can be greater investment in the transfer window next season.
Of course, this could also be influenced by how things play out between now and the end of the season. West Brom look well set to secure a Championship play-off place before the campaign comes to an end.
That may then give them a shot at promotion to the Premier League. If they are successful with that, the finances that become available to them mean they would expect to be able to afford the signing of Johnston.
Given the winger will likely have a big say in whether or not West Brom win promotion given his current form, he may also be about to significantly influence his own future in the coming weeks.