Sheffield United eyes Sam Johnstone if he wins promotion

Sheffield United could look to sign England international goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, if they win promotion to the Premier League.

Currently, the Blades can’t even consider signing anyone thanks to a transfer embargo on the club. It put a stop to any hope Paul Heckingbottom had of adding new faces in January as well.

Rumors circulated over the weekend that the embargo could put United into administration this week if finances are not resolved quickly. However, those reports have been dismissed by United CEO Stephen Bettis.

Planning

Looking ahead to next season, it seems United are planning to make transfers if they are promoted. And according to Alan Nixon, the Blades are looking for Crystal Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

Alan Nixon reports how Palace might be willing to accept around £5m for Johnstone, who they signed for free last summer.

Johnstone, 29, currently plays the supporting role of Vitor Guaita in Selhurst Park. However, he is still regarded as a top-quality goalkeeper and has had England caps before.

Sheffield United News View: Blades need new goalkeeper if promoted

Whether that’s in the form of a new number one or simply putting pressure on Wes Foderingham is open to debate.

But United could do it with a safe and experienced pair of hands if they manage to return to the top flight.

We saw before how important it was to have Dean Henderson in the sticks. The Manchester United man proved just as vital to the Blades, picking up points of his own in a few games.

Johnstone, who has been praised as ‘outstanding’, would tick the boxes for Sheffield United when that promotion is sealed.

Lee has been writing about all things football since 2015 and currently works as Editorial Lead for SheffieldUnited.News and freelance writer for The Boot Room. He has worked for GRV Media since January 2020 and previously worked for Football League World at Snack Media. Lee is a Sheffield United expert. He is very interested in the tactical side of the game and bringing up topics of conversation that go against the grain. He has a deep memory bank of 1990s soccer cards, he knows the 1998 World Cup inside out and never tires of losing in the playoffs.