Manchester United or Aston Villa? Decision time for Sam Johnstone

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Sam Johnstone is wanted permanently by Aston Villa but will the goalkeeper want to leave Manchester United?

Aston Villa goalkeeper Sam Johnstone in action during the Sky Bet Championship match against Newcastle United.

Sam Johnstone put in another impressive performance for Aston Villa as they beat Fulham 2-1 to move up to fifth place in the Championship.

The goalkeeper was on hand to make several important saves and lead manager Steve Bruce to once again discuss the possibility of signing Johnstone on a permanent basis from parent club Manchester United.

Steve Bruce (L) talks to Jose Mourinho (R) on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Hull City.

“We have given him time and now he looks like a very, very good goalkeeper. He’s getting better all the time and I hope he’s Aston Villa’s goalkeeper for a long time,” Bruce was quoted by the Manchester Evening News.

“We will do everything in our power to get him here permanently.”

Aston Villa goalkeeper Sam Johnstone celebrates his team’s opening goal during the Sky Bet Championship match against Burton Albion.

Johnstone signed a new contract at Old Trafford in 2016 which expires next summer but does have the option of being extended by a further 12 months.

The Red Devils are the 24-year-old’s boyhood club having joined their academy aged 10 and the ‘keeper would surely love to break into their first team.

However, Johnstone has never made a senior appearance for the 13-time Premier League champions and has David de Gea, Sergio Romero and Joel Pereira ahead of him for a place between the sticks currently.

Therefore surely a permanent switch to Villa makes the most sense for the player? United boss Jose Mourinho may want to keep him on the books, but for the good of his career Johnstone needs to look at the likes of Tom Heaton – who left the Manchester side in 2010 and has since gone onto be an England international while at Burnley – as inspiration for leaving.