West Ham United want cash now as Rangers transfer update emerges on Ben Johnson
West Ham want to generate a transfer fee for Rangers target Ben Johnson if he is to leave the club this month, according to the Daily Mail.
Simon Jones reported in the paper’s Transfer Confidential column on 15 January that the Light Blues are monitoring the Hammers full-back, with Sheffield United among the interested rivals.
The 23-year-old’s contract at the London Stadium is expiring in the summer and he hasn’t accepted an extension, but West Ham want cash to let him depart during the January transfer window.
Johnson is primarily a right-back but can also operate on the left, which is a position that has emerged as a key focus for Rangers this month.
Cut-price?
The Gers made a habit of paying a small fee to land targets on expiring deals ahead of transfer rivals when Michael Beale was in charge.
Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin both arrived this time last year on that basis and had a decent amount of success, although the move to add Jose Cifuentes in the summer has not been anywhere near as fruitful.
While Johnson should be available for a knock-down fee if West Ham want to avoid losing him for nothing in six months time it doesn’t necessarily mean he would be affordable at Ibrox right now.
A reduced fee in the English Premier League and a reduced fee in most other divisions, including the SPFL, are two different things, so it might be a tough pursuit if the top-flight Blades are involved as well.
Although James Tavernier has again been linked to a move to Saudi Arabia the interest from Rangers in Johnson may be more focused on the left-back position.
At 23 the ex-England under-21 international could feasibly be the long-term cover for the captain, but with both Ridvan Yilmaz and Borna Barisic’s future uncertain there is a more pressing need to address the other side of the back line.
But when Dujon Sterling was already acquired in the summer on much the same basis, as a possible stand-in for Tavernier and emergency cover on the left, it would perhaps be a surprise to see money spent on another signing that fits that exact criteria.
In other Rangers news, the club have made contact to sign another defender who must move on during the January transfer window.