Stoke City will be delighted after fresh AFC Bournemouth, Chelsea development | OneFootball

The Potters have received a boost as they aim to keep hold of key man Viktor Johansson this summer

Key Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson was recently reported to be of interest to Premier League side AFC Bournemouth, but the Cherries are set to try and sign current Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga in the summer, which will be a relief to all connected to the Potters.

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, with high-flying Bournemouth named as a suitor. The Cherries are in the race for European football in the top-flight, but while they may be interested in Johansson, current loanee Kepa is believed to be on their radar for a possible permanent deal.

Kepa joined Bournemouth on loan from Chelsea for this season, and he has impressed under Andoni Iraola, who he previously worked with in Spain, despite his checkered past with the Blues.

He became the world's most expensive keeper when he moved to Stamford Bridge in 2018 for £71.6m, but could make a full-time move to the Vitality Stadium this summer, much to the relief of Stoke supporters.

Viktor Johansson has attracted Cherries interest after being Stoke's best 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 Swedish outlet Sportbladet recently claimed that Premier League Bournemouth had joined Serie A outfit Como in registering their interest in Johansson ahead of the summer window.

Como were believed to have wanted to secure a deal for the 26-year-old in January, but were knocked back by Stoke, with the Potters obviously not receptive to any transfer being sanctioned midway through the season.

As well as that positive Potters news, fresh reports have now emerged about the Cherries' hunt for a permanent goalkeeper that do not include Johansson, and so Stoke fans will be pleased that he does not look set to move to the south coast anytime soon.

Bournemouth want a permanent transfer for Kepa following his impressive loan spell

Kepa has certainly not had the best time of things since he made a high-profile move to English football in 2018, as Chelsea forked out a world-record fee for a goalkeeper to sign him from Athletic Bilbao, but his time with Bournemouth has gone some way to restoring his reputation on these shores so far.

The 13-time Spain international won La Liga and the Champions League while playing 20 games on loan at Real Madrid last season, so it was regarded as a real coup for the Cherries to land his services last summer, and his signing has certainly proven to be so as they chase a potential Champions League qualification.

Kepa has proven himself as Iraola's clear number one throughout the campaign, with six clean sheets and just 31 goals conceded in 25 games across both league and cup up to now. His shot-stopping statistics place him as one of the best keepers in the Premier League this season, and he won the top-flight's Save of the Month award for February after a superb stop to deny Wolves' Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

It is, therefore, no surprise to see that The Telegraph have reported that Bournemouth are looking into turning the 30-year-old's loan into a permanent deal from Chelsea following his decent performances this term. The Cherries are believed to be open to him staying at the Vitality Stadium, while he is expected to be allowed to leave West London for the right deal this summer.

Despite Johansson's clear quality, Kepa is undoubtedly the superior goalkeeper as it stands, and the fact that he has already settled into his surroundings on the south coast, and has great international and European football experience, makes him a certain standout in terms of realistic options for Bournemouth to sign ahead of next season.

Stoke supporters and boss Robins will be keeping a close eye on developments involving the Spaniard and the Cherries in the months to come following the end of this campaign, but for now, they can seemingly relax with their main Swedish stopper unlikely to make the move to Iraola's side soon.