Ipswich Town In The Race For £42 Million-Rated Player

According to rumors, Leeds United may have a difficult time signing West Ham United defender Ben Johnson this summer because other Premier League clubs are also interested in him.

The Whites have been monitoring Johnson’s status at the London Stadium for some time, as his contract with the Hammers is set to expire at the end of this month. It was even stated during the January transfer window that Leeds wanted to bring the fullback to Elland Road before the market closed at the beginning of February, but the deal never materialized.

Nonetheless, Johnson is expected to leave the East London club next Sunday when he becomes a free agent, though The Athletic recently reported that West Ham have offered the 24-year-old a new and improved five-year contract as newly appointed head coach Julen Lopetegui wants to keep him. However, the former England Under-21 international has yet to accept a new contract.

Leeds United are looking to sign Johnson to bolster Daniel Farke’s fullback positions after losing stalwart Luke Ayling on a free transfer to fellow Championship side Middlesbrough, and following Premier League interest in rising star Archie Gray, but face competition from top-flight teams for the Englishman, who has a market value of £4.2 million, according to the CIES Football Observatory.

According to Mike McGrath of The Telegraph, newly promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town have entered the race for the out-of-contract defender this summer, as Kieran McKenna looks to bolster his squad ahead of the 2024/25 season with players who have proven themselves in the top tier of English football.

Vladimir Coufal is still West Ham United’s first-choice right back, and this is unlikely to alter under Lopetegui. Johnson’s decision on his future should be based on where he would most likely get regular game time, which is unlikely to happen with the Hammers.

Nonetheless, Leeds United and Ipswich are both intriguing options, but one could argue that he has a better chance of playing for the Tractor Boys than the Whites, despite being in a higher tier, especially if Gray stays with the club ahead of next season.