Stoke City ought to brace as new Viktor Johansson, Premier League update emerges | OneFootball

The Potters will have to fend off top-flight interest in their star man this summer

Key Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson has recently been reported to be of interest to Premier League side AFC Bournemouth, and given his standout performances for the club and a potential relegation from the Championship to come, the Potters must prepare for a real challenge to keep hold of him in the summer window.

Johansson, who is Sweden's first-choice in-between the sticks, joined Stoke from Rotherham United for a reported initial £750,000 fee, with potential add-ons taking it beyond the £1 million mark last summer, as they beat off strong competition to bring him in not long after the 2023/24 season had ended.

His performances since he made the switch to the bet365 Stadium have been nothing short of extraordinary, and he has been able to consistently bail his side out of sticky situations this season amid genuine relegation fears.

He has recently been claimed to be on the radar of numerous higher-placed clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, and is undoubtedly set to catch the eye of more top-flight teams before a potential departure. The Potters will face a real fight to keep hold of their best player in the months to come.

Viktor Johansson has been Stoke's standout player this season

Johansson was already rated as one of the Championship's better shot-stoppers in his four years at Rotherham prior to his move to ST4 last year, but his performances have gone up another level altogether this season. They have simply had to be outstanding, as the Potters would probably already be relegated if not.

The 26-year-old has, by far and away, been the Potters' best performer this term and has even donned the captain's armband in recent months under Mark Robins in Ben Gibson's absence. He is already a shoo-in for the club's Player of the Season award, regardless of what happens between now and May.

He has also had his role made harder by the constant rotation that has occurred in Stoke's backline, with the likes of Ashley Phillips, Ben Wilmot, Ben Gibson and Michael Rose all playing at centre-back at times, while Junior Tchamadeu has rotated at right back with Wilmot and Lynden Gooch, and the likes of Enda Stevens, Eric Bocat and Josh Wilson-Esbrand have featured at left-back.

The Swedish number one's Championship expected goals prevented, at 10.8, is among the best of all goalkeepers in the second-tier so far this season, while he is also in the top five for save percentage so far. It is fair to say that he deserves a big move after his exploits this term, and one could be on the horizon this summer as the Potters battle to survive in the second-tier.

Stoke face a real battle to keep hold of Johansson amid PL and Serie A interest

Keeping hold of Johansson in January was absolutely vital for Stoke in the midst of a second-tier relegation battle, especially given that there was reportedly interest in his signature from Serie A outfit Como.

Swedish outlet Sportsbladet have recently claimed that the Italian side wanted to secure a deal for the 26-year-old in the winter window, but were knocked back by Stoke, with the Potters obviously not receptive to any transfer being sanctioned midway through the season.

The same report states that Premier League side AFC Bournemouth have now joined Cesc Fàbregas' side in registering their interest in Johansson ahead of the summer window.

Once again, Stoke will not want to lose their key keeper's services anytime soon, but he will surely be in favour of a move to the top-flight, especially given that the Potters could be in League One in 2025/26.

He has certainly proven himself as one of the best in the second-tier this season, and while Stoke will hope to be able to lean on his loyalty that saw him stay longer at Rotherham than most expected him to, as well as his clear happiness in the Potteries, a move could well be forced through dependent on their league status in the summer.

One positive for the Potters will be the fee that they are able to demand for his services regardless of whether they are in the Championship or not. Johansson is in contract until 2027, and so they will be in no rush to cave to the first bid that could be directed their way in the upcoming window.

It is clear, however, that they could be resigned to losing him one way or another in the months to come. Bournemouth will not go away quietly if they have already identified him as a target prior to the campaign even being over, and more clubs from the Premier League and top-flight leagues in Europe are likely to join the chase for his signature, making an exit almost inevitable.