It's fair to say, looking at how devastatingly effective the 24-year-old Scotsman has been, that brand-new West Bromwich Albion star Mikey Johnston has been a masterstroke of a signing for Carlos Corberan's men.
Joining in January on loan from Celtic, the slick 5 foot 9 attacker has dazzled Championship defences with ease and has notched up an impressive return of seven strikes and one assist from 15 second-tier games in the process.
The powers that be back up at the Hoops are no doubt shaking their heads now at their decision to offload Johnston, with the Scottish winger likely to return back to Parkhead revitalised after such an effective switch to the Baggies.
West Brom will have to start eyeing up replacements for their golden January buy if he does just end up returning to his parent club, with one player being lined up as a potential purchase according to reports.
West Brom searching for a Johnston replacement
According to a recent report from The Sun, West Brom and a number of other EFL suitors all want to sign Oxford United star Josh Murphy this summer with the U's man starring in recent weeks for the League One promotion-chasing outfit.
Brother of Jacob, who is in and around the first team at Newcastle United, the former Norwich City youth product is wanted by Sunderland, Southampton, Hull City and Queens Park Rangers alongside the Baggies.
The level of interest in Murphy rising is also down to the fact the 29-year-old is out of contract in the summer too, with many Championship clubs circling for his signature sensing a bargain could come their way courtesy of the ex-Canaries attacker.
Amassing six goals and five assists this season, with six of those contributions coming just this month as Murphy enters into red-hot form at the perfect possible time for Des Buckingham's playoff-chasers, this will be a fascinating transfer saga to watch unfold if Oxford cannot tie down their standout winger to a new deal.
Corberan's men will hope they can race to the front of the queue to sign Murphy, gaining a Johnston replacement on a free transfer and working their magic again with another experienced head excelling in the second tier.
Murphy could be Johnston's replacement
West Brom won't turn their noses up at getting in a replacement for the Celtic loanee for £0, knowing that the free transfer route has worked wonders for them seen in their current promotion-seeking squad.
Alex Mowatt, Okay Yokuslu, John Swift and Jed Wallace all relocated to the Hawthorns as free agents, with that quartet in and around the first team to this date as the Baggies strive to make a long-awaited return to the Premier League.
Described as being a "fantastic" talent by Carlton Palmer when news emerged of Murphy being wanted by teams in the second tier, the 29-year-old deserves another shot at playing higher up the divisions based on his exploits at the Kassam Stadium this season alone.
Player
Date Joined
Games Played
Goals
Assists
Alex Mowatt
2021
79
5
7
Okay Yokuslu
2022
100
5
2
John Swift
2022
84
16
11
Jed Wallace
2022
90
11
13
West Brom could well gift him that opportunity if they take a punt on the former Norwich man this coming summer, a move that could well prove to be another ingenious gamble considering Murphy has accumulated 24 goals and 26 assists at Championship level previously in his varied career.
With Matt Phillips also potentially being moved on at the end of the season, Corberan's men will need reinforcements down the left-hand channel and Murphy might well be the man they desire to add strength in depth.
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