Ipswich Town has entered the competition to sign West Ham full-back Ben Johnson, citing the Daily Mirror (print edition, April 21, page 71).
Since The Tractor Boys are vying for promotion right now, their recruitment team has been able to make plans for what might be an interesting summer transfer window.
Although their club has done an incredible job of positioning itself to be in the running for back-to-back promotions, it is obvious that they will need to bolster their roster if they get promoted in order to give themselves the best opportunity of remaining in the Premier League.
They’ll need depth as well as superior players at other positions, and one area they should focus on improving is their full-back department.
Regardless of promotion, Ipswich Town intends to retain Vaclav Hladky for the upcoming season, and a long-term contract is being discussed.
Johnson’s ability to play on both flanks would be advantageous for a team that will be losing the adaptable Brandon Williams upon his summer return to Manchester United.
Both Janoi Donacien and Harry Clarke are capable of playing on the right, although it’s unclear if McKenna has the latter in mind for the upcoming campaign.
When Williams departs, Leif Davis appears to be the only available left-back on the left.
Although Davis has performed admirably, he needs competition, and in January he almost got it as Marvin Johnson was previously strongly linked to a transfer to Portman Road.
Ben Johnson is gaining more attention since his future at West Ham is uncertain.
Johnson might believe he has a greater chance of succeeding somewhere else because he hasn’t been getting a lot of playing time this season, even if there is plenty of interest in him.
| Ben Johnson’s 2023/24 West Ham appearances | |
|---|---|
| (As of April 22nd, 2024) | |
| Premier League | 14 |
| EFL Cup | 2 |
| FA Cup | 2 |
| Europa League | 4 |
| EFL Trophy | 2 |
The Daily Mirror report (via MOT Leeds News) states that Southampton, Leeds United, and Crystal Palace are still interested in him before the summer.
The full-back is apparently the target of a desperate attempt by the Irons to hang on to him, but it’s unclear if David Moyes’ team will be successful in signing him given the growing interest in his services in recent months.
Ben Johnson might be an asset to Ipswich Town for a number of reasons.
As previously stated, Johnson would be perfect for the Tractor Boys because they need depth at this position.
The fact that Johnson can play both sides means that Ipswich could only need to buy one full-back instead of two, saving the summer to potentially handle other matters.
If the Tractor Boys are promoted at the end of the season, it would be wise to bring in the West Ham player, who has a wealth of top-flight experience under his belt and should only become better with age.
With several Premier League teams, including the Irons, rumored to be interested in the former Leeds player, he might even be Davis’ replacement should he leave Portman Road.
Johnson might prove to be an important addition for Ipswich.
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