In a recent report, journalist Graeme Bailey mentioned that Aston Villa are facing tough competition for West Ham United ace Ben Johnson. It has been claimed that the Villans will have to rival Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to land the English talent in the summer.
Johnson’s Growing Frustrations At West Ham This Season
Johnson is having a frustrating campaign at the London Stadium as he has struggled to earn regular first-team starts under the stewardship of David Moyes. The English right-back has only made 20 appearances for the Hammers this season, picking up one assist in the process across various competitions.
The 24-year-old has seen most of his game time come off the bench which explains why he is only averaging 0.8 tackles and 0.8 clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He has been careful when distributing the ball from the right flank based on his pass completion rate of 81.9% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Johnson is under contract at the East London club until the end of this campaign which could open the door for the Villans to sign him on a free transfer later this summer.
Aston Villa Are Facing Tough Competition For Johnson: Is He Worth The Fight?
Johnson can be a decent defender at the back when he is playing with confidence on the pitch. He is a solid tackler of the ball and doesn’t hesitate to put his foot through the ball when needed. The English full-back is a powerful runner with the ball but needs to find a way to be more consistent in top-flight football.
At the moment, Johnson is struggling to nail down a regular first-team spot at West Ham. Thus, it makes sense for the player to seek a move elsewhere in search of more game time this summer.
We can expect Johnson to inject more quality into Aston Villa boss Unai Emery’s defence. He is good enough to challenge Matty Cash for a place in the West Midlands club‘s starting XI next season. Hence, Johnson will be well worth the fight, especially when he will be available on a free transfer in the summer.
