West Brom should plot statement Bristol City transfer raid - 12-goal star may offer Mikey Johnston upgrade | OneFootball

West Brom should have the Bristol City star lined up if Mikey Johnston exits

West Bromwich Albion are gearing up for their first season under new manager Ryan Mason.

The Baggies finished ninth in the Championship last term, which isn’t a position anyone at the club will be satisfied with.

Mason has added two new recruits to his ranks, in the form of Nat Phillips and striker Aune Heggebø.

Winger Mikey Johnston was recently poised to seal a £5 million move to Brazilian outfit Flamengo, until fan outrage surrounding the deal forced Mengão to pull out.

Although he may not be moving to South America, a move hasn't been ruled out entirely and West Brom are clearly willing to sell Johnston, meaning it may only be a matter of time before he does leave the Hawthorns.

Mason and Co. must be prepared for this scenario and have a replacement lined up immediately.

West Brom should target move for Bristol City's Anis Mehmeti amid Mikey Johnston transfer saga

If Johnston is sold for a figure in the region of £5 million, the Baggies should reinvest that money back into their attack but need to make sure they are acquiring guaranteed goals.

Bristol City forward Anis Mehmeti would represent that and therefore, be an extremely streetwise move for West Brom.

The 24-year-old netted 12 times for the Robins last season and played a crucial role as they finished in the play-offs for the first time in 17 years.

Johnston’s flair and pace on the wing would be a big miss for Mason, with managers always desperate for those players who can cause chaos in the opposition’s third of the pitch.

Mehmeti would work well in combination with Tom Fellows if the 21-year-old remains at the Hawthorns, giving Mason two deadly options who could operate simultaneously.

This pair would no doubt cause havoc for Championship defences whilst complementing strikers such as Josh Maja and Heggebø, who would have another creative force to link up with.

West Brom drew 19 games in the Championship last season, one shy of the division’s highest total and was ultimately the reason they missed out on the top six.

Having a clinical finisher such as Mehmeti would turn some of those stalemates into wins and help push the Baggies towards the play-offs once more.

The 24-year-old enjoyed over six touches per game in the opposition’s penalty area last term, highlighting his intent to drive directly at defences and cause problems.

These traits are exactly what West Brom have been crying out for, and something Johnston couldn’t provide last season.

Mehmeti would be able to replicate that and add a better end product to the Baggies’ frontline, so it would be a no-brainer for West Brom to pursue a deal for the Albanian.

Although the Robins had a great 2024/25 campaign, Mason will possess enough financial might to make an offer the Ashton Gate outfit can’t refuse and it's also worth noting that Mehmeti's current deal expires next summer, too.

In weakening a potential play-off rival, West Brom would strengthen their own attack and give the fans an exciting new forward to get behind next term.

Bristol City would need a big bid to part ways with Anis Mehmeti

There is no doubt that the 24-year-old would be a great addition for Mason’s side, but he would be an even bigger loss for the Robins.

The Albanian forward was Bristol City’s top scorer last term, so he is possibly the last player manager Gerhard Struber would want to sell.

Furthermore, the club’s second-highest goalscorer in the 2024-25 campaign, Nahki Wells, has also left Ashton Gate, which means that the Robins would be losing a large majority of their goals if Mehmeti was sold.

Bristol City have already lost Liam Manning to Norwich this summer and if their star attacker was also allowed to leave, it could begin to raise questions from the fanbase over what the club’s ambitions really are.

As a result, it might require a mammoth bid from West Brom to force the Robins into parting ways with the 24-year-old.

However, if the Baggies receive a healthy fee for Johnston, they may have the necessary finances to do so.