According to the latest report from The Athletic's famous reporter David Ornstein, Crystal Palace's England goalkeeper Johnstone has formally expressed his willingness to leave the club. It is reported that Johnstone made his transfer request clear to the club's senior management during the team's U.S. tour, and Crystal Palace, after weighing the pros and cons, said they are willing to release the experienced goalkeeper if they receive a suitable offer.
The main reason for Johnstone's decision to leave Crystal Palace is that new manager Glasner has clearly informed him that he will not be the team's starting goalkeeper in the new season. Although Glasner personally preferred to keep Johnstone, he eventually chose to respect the player's decision in the face of his strong desire to leave the club and agreed to release Johnstone under the right conditions.
A number of Premier League clubs have already shown strong interest in Johnstone, including the likes of Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton and Wolves. These teams all hope to bring in a strong goalkeeper before the start of the new season to enhance the team's defensive strength. Johnstone, as a well-known goalkeeper in English soccer, has naturally become an important target for them to attract reinforcements.
For Crystal Palace, their current transfer asking price for Johnstone is £10 million. This price reflects Johnstone's value and strength, but also sets a certain threshold for potential buyers. However, considering Johnstone's rich experience and outstanding performance in the Premier League, it is believed that this price will not be an obstacle to his transfer.
As the transfer market heats up, Johnstone's future destination will be the focus of fans' attention. Whichever team he ends up joining, he will undoubtedly bring valuable experience and strength to the new owner. As for Crystal Palace, they need to find a replacement for Johnstone as soon as possible to ensure that the team's competitiveness will not be affected in the new season.
