Fresh details emerge on failed £5m West Brom, Flamengo deal for Mikey Johnston | OneFootball

West Brom's Irish winger was involved in a bizarre transfer mishap back in July

Flamengo sporting director Jose Boto has attempted to provide further clarity on Mikey Johnston's failed £5m transfer to the Brazilian giants following the recent closure of the summer transfer window.

The West Bromwich Albion ace was involved in one of the Championship's more peculiar transfer sagas of an enthralling summer, having looked likely to move to South America after impressing for Albion over the past year-and-a-half in which he made an initial loan move from Celtic permanent, before the Flamengo hierarchy pulled the plug on the anticipated transfer move.

This was one of several instances of transfer movement throughout Ryan Mason's first pre-season and transfer window in charge of the Baggies following his first-ever appointment in a full-time managerial role after previously working as assistant to the likes of Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.

It has been a strong start to the second-tier campaign for the West Midlands outfit too, having only tasted defeat on a solitary occasion to Derby County at The Hawthorns last weekend, with the Rams seemingly having a hoodoo over Albion at present after also dumping them out of the EFL Cup back in August.

Regardless of the failed transfer, Johnston has continued to feature as a mainstay in the side under Mason thus far, with those of a Flamengo persuasion also using two former Atlético Madrid stars to add clarity as to why the Republic of Ireland international didn't move to the Maracana.

Flamengo sporting director Jose Boto makes claim on failed £5m West Brom, Mikey Johnston transfer agreement involving ex-Atletico Madrid stars

Weeks after the Brazilian giants had competed in the newly-formatted Club World Cup in the United States, it emerged that Johnston had become of interest to the club managed by former Chelsea left-back, Filipe Luis.

The 26-year-old, who registered a tally of three goals and five assists in 40 league appearances last term after making his loan switch from Celtic permanent for £3m, was closing in on a surprise, "life-changing" move across the Atlantic to one of world football's most historic clubs.

However, the aforementioned Boto revealed at the time that the reason behind the failed move, reportedly worth £5m, was due to concerns over the number of foreign players within the Mengão ranks due to squad quota restrictions, as well as there being a 'better option' for the club to pursue in the market.

Having sold Gerson to Zenit St Petersburg for €25m, Luis welcomed the duo of Saul Niguez and Samuel Lino from Atlético Madrid, with the latter costing the club a record-breaking €22m later in July.

However, in a fresh interview with Brazilian outlet, UOL, Boto claims that Johnston and Lino were being identified separately, yet conceded that the potential move for the Irishman would have been perceived differently by supporters if he joined in between the aforementioned big-name duo.

"In Mikey's case, he was one of the players we saw would help the team with things we needed. And his arrival wouldn't have anything to do with Samuel Lino's absence; both would have come," Boto said.

"When you try to make your first purchase, you get hit until you say enough. I also think there was a timing issue, because if it wasn't the first, if he came in between Saúl and Samuel Lino, the fans might have had a different reaction," he stated.

"And I also don't know if it's the fans or the press that promotes this among the fans, but it's also something that doesn't worry me much. What's important is whether the players truly have the characteristics that suit the club."

West Bromwich Albion are benefitting from failed Flamengo, Mikey Johnston deal

To his credit, Johnston has immediately put the aforementioned transfer saga behind him, continuing to be a key player for West Brom as they look to improve on last season's ninth-place finish.

Shortly after the failed move, Mason outlined how important the 17-time international would be to the club's aims, and that was perfectly showcased in the 3-2 win over Wrexham on August 16th, where he posted two assists, before opening his account for the season the following week with a stunning effort against Portsmouth at The Hawthorns.

Johnston's unpredictability and direct nature has caused havoc for opposition defenders ever since he stepped foot in the Championship, which will continue to be a useful weapon for Mason to have in his armoury alongside the likes of Isaac Price, who is flourishing in an advanced role alongside the former Vitoria Guimaraes loanee and Jed Wallace.