Leeds United look set to spearhead a Championship onslaught of clubs interested in Rotherham United’s Swedish shot-stopper Viktor Johansson, according to reports.
Following the confirmation of the Millers’ relegation to League One, manager Steve Evans has already addressed the imminent departures of their key assets ahead of a busy summer. Several clubs in the second tier have monitored Johansson recently, one of which is Sheffield United who are set to return to the Championship next season.
Unfortunately for the Yorkshire side, a relegation clause was implemented into the Swede’s latest contract and would see him depart from the New York Stadium for as little as around £1 million. Should Leeds United remain in the Championship for another year, Ilian Meslier will likely be linked away to a higher division and Johansson is being closely monitored as a potential replacement or backup to the Frenchman.
The 25-year-old has been highlighted as a key performer since joining the Championship outfit and has played for the Millers since 2014. With five clean sheets in 44 league appearances this season, there is no reason why Johansson shouldn’t remain in the division, especially for a club with a higher chance of escaping it.
In an interview with the Rotherham Advertiser, Evans explained his reasoning for benching the Sweden international and opting to give Dillon Phillips a run-out ahead of the summer refresh. The ex-Stevenage manager also delved into the likelihood of Johansson’s departure.
“The chances are that, with the huge interest in him, Viktor will leave in the summer, it will probably be a life-changing move for the kid. Viktor’s been phenomenal and Dillon’s been phenomenal as well. Unfortunately Dillon’s not been able to show that on the pitch, only on the training pitch. I feel sorry for him.
“If i had to vote for our Player of the Year, I’d vote for Viktor first and Dillon second. Dillon’s kept his standards really high and trained really hard.”
On Phillips’ performance in the 2-0 loss to Bristol City at the weekend, Evans gave his honest opinion on the former Charlton Athletic man.
“His kicking in the first half was a bit erratic but he pulled off three or four great saves. There were big blocks. He stood up well.”
Writer’s View
The new boss has made a real conscious effort to move on from Johansson already by praising both of his keepers and immediately putting his faith in Phillips, who will likely take on the Swede’s mantle should he move to Leeds United or any other suitor. There is clearly a lot of trust being placed in their emerging number two and Evans has wasted no time to ignite talk of a squad overhaul.
The gulf in quality between the Championship and League One is definitely widening, with Ipswich Town being an exceptional anomaly this season. This means that the Millers can afford to take a chance on the 28-year-old next year and focus on improvements to the rest of the squad first.
