Sunderland ready ‘bargain’ deal to sign Sam Johnstone in Wolves loan update
Sunderland’s transfer window has exploded into life recently.
Regis Le Bris’ side had endured a fairly slow start to the summer window, but over the last week or so, they have kick-started their transfer business.
Sunderland successfully hijacked Leeds United’s bid to sign Habib Diarra, and were able to lure him to the North East in a club-record £30million deal. They have since added Noah Sadiki, who will also provide stronger depth in the midfield.
It’s shaping up to be a hugely exciting summer for the fans, and with deals for the likes of Georges Mikautadze and Reinildo also potentially in the pipeline, the Black Cats’ business looks unlikely to conclude any time soon.
Sunderland want Sam Johnstone to compete with Anthony Patterson
Sunderland have now lost out on Marcin Bulka, who they have also kept a keen eye on in recent weeks.
The Polish shotstopper has sealed his move to Saudi Arabia, which has forced the Wearsiders to turn their attention towards other possible options between the posts.
It has now been revealed that one of those options is Wolves’ Sam Johnstone, according to the print edition of The Sun on Sunday (6 July, pg. 59).
The 32-year-old is under contract at Molineux for another three years, but the Mackems could swoop to add him to Le Bris’ ranks on a loan deal.
Johnstone has worked with new goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler on two previous occasions, and is seen as a potential bargain compared to some of the more expensive options elsewhere on the continent.
Johnstone would be a great signing for Sunderland
There can be no doubt that Johnstone would be an excellent addition if Le Bris and Co. could encourage him to make the switch to the North East.
The former Aston Villa and West Brom man made just seven Premier League appearances last season, as Jose Sa was often preferred in the Wolves goal.
| League | Apps | Save Percentage | Clean Sheets | Goals Against per 90 | Saves |
| Championship | 217 | 72.6% | 72 | 1.07 | 577 |
| Premier League | 73 | 69.3% | 15 | 1.75 | 251 |
However, he has proven himself to be a capable top-flight ‘keeper across a number of years, which has also seen him receive international honours for England on several occasions.
He may not be as glamorous a signing as someone like Bulka would have been, but Johnstone could prove to be a very shrewd acquisition at the Stadium of Light, especially considering a loan deal would be fairly low-risk.
The money Sunderland would save by signing Johnstone instead of a top European alternative could provide them with the crucial boost to push through further deals elsewhere.
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