Aston Villa are hoping to complete a deal for Manchester United’s Sam Johnstone.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has told the club’s official website that he hopes to announce a deal for Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone in the next 48 hours.
Villa have so far added just one new signing this summer, with free agent John Terry penning a deal with the club following his release from Chelsea.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
Terry is a big addition to the Villa back line, but manager Bruce still has work to do between the sticks, with the goalkeeping situation up in the air.
Pierluigi Gollini may have arrived last summer, but he has already been loaned out to Atalanta, and with a year still left on that deal, Bruce is left with the likes of Mark Bunn, Jed Steer and Matija Sarkic as his options.
Another goalkeeper will be needed as Villa’s first choice, and the club appear to be pushing to bring Manchester United’s Sam Johnstone back to Villa Park this summer.
Johnstone, 24, has come up through the ranks at Old Trafford but is yet to make his first-team debut for the club, and he was loaned out to Villa back in January of this year.
After an initially slow start to life at Villa Park, the former England Under-20 international did impress and helped Villa keep a number of clean sheets, before returning to United earlier this summer.
Sam Johnstone in action Aston Villa
Now, manager Bruce has told the club’s official website that he is hoping to have a deal to bring Johnstone back to Villa Park – most likely on loan – before the end of the weekend, but he is respecting United’s plans to go on tour to the United States this weekend.
“We hope to be able to announce something in the next 24/48 hours if we can. That would be ideal,” said Bruce. “It’s no big secret that I am still hoping we can tie up Sam Johnstone from Manchester United. I think that’s still ongoing but ultimately we have to respect Manchester United. I know they go on tour on Sunday. We will see what develops in the next 24/48 hours,” he added.
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