West Brom could lose player Brendan Rodgers once tipped for enormous things at Celtic | OneFootball

Mikey Johnston's future at West Brom is up in the air as we approach the final days of the transfer window

West Brom have made a promising start to the new Championship season under James Morrison.

The Baggies narrowly avoided relegation to League One in the previous campaign, but have a 100 per cent record from the opening two rounds in 2026/27.

Albion will be hoping to climb the table compared to last year when they finished 21st, just four points clear of the bottom three.

It could also be a busy end to the transfer window for the Midlands outfit, with just under a week remaining in the market.

West Brom star Mikey Johnston tipped for exit

The Championship side have until 1 September to complete any of their remaining business, but they could also see some potential departures before then as well.

It was reported earlier this week that Mikey Johnston is attracting interest from rivals Derby County.

The winger has not featured so far in Morrison’s side, which has further fuelled speculation over his future with the club.

The Ireland international made the switch to West Brom from Celtic in the 2024 summer transfer window, and has been a regular presence in the side since then.

Brendan Rodgers’ Mikey Johnston claim

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Brendan Rodgers was a big fan of Johnston during his two times as Celtic manager, helping him break into the first team squad.

The Northern Irishman gave the winger his debut for the Glasgow giants in May 2017, giving him a start in a 4-1 win over St. Johnstone in which he earned an assist.

By the time he returned to Parkhead in 2023, Rodgers claimed that Johnston was arguably the best talent the club had ever seen in its academy system.

However, within just a couple of months he was a West Brom player, initially joining on loan before signing on a permanent basis in the 2024 summer market.

“He’s had his issues around his physicality, which sometimes gets in the way, but there’s no doubting his talent,” said Rodgers, via Sky Sports in 2023.

“We want to do everything we possibly can to express that talent.

“Players come through the system here, he’s arguably the most talented that’s ever come out of the system here.

“And I would say that having seen a lot of the young players here.”

Mikey Johnston’s importance to West Brom

Johnston has been a positive presence for West Brom since making his initial move to the club in the 2023 January window.

The winger has made a total of 92 appearances in the Championship for the club, contributing 12 goals and 15 assists.

He proved key to the team reaching the play-offs under Carlos Corberan in 2023/24, scoring seven from 18 games in the league that year.

The 27-year-old has not been selected by Morrison in either of the opening two rounds of the new campaign, but there is no doubt he could still have quite an impact at the Hawthorns if he stays.

Johnston was a key creative influence on the Baggies last season, creating 2.18 chances per 90, while also completing 1.95 crosses each game (all stats from Fotmob).

The winger proved dangerous in possession, with an 84 per cent pass completion rate, and a 51.1 per cent rate of accurate long balls in 2025/26.

Johnston is also tricky to defend against, completing 2.22 dribbles per 90 last season at an impressive success rate of 51.8 per cent.

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West Brom’s summer signings

West Brom have backed Morrison in the transfer window this summer, bringing in seven fresh faces to the squad.

Felix Horn Myhre, Rabby Nzingoula, Barney Stewart, Jimmy-Jay Morgan, Nolan Galves, Matt Ingram and Conor Townsend have all signed.

So perhaps the Championship side need to cash in on a player like Johnston in order to keep the books balanced.

However, if they can hold onto the Irishman then they should as he could be an even bigger danger in the final third this year with a stronger core of attackers to work with.