Lewis Cox on Celtic winger, midfield possibilities and potential outgoings

Express & Star

Jonny Drury is joined by Lewis Cox discuss Albion's transfer deadline day - and what could happen in the final few hours of the January window. Lewis discusses Celtic's Mikey Johnston and when he expects that deal to go through. He reveals the possibility of Albion signing a central midfielder to fill the gap left by the injured Jayson Molumby. And he also gives an update on whether any Albion players could be going the other way before the 11pm deadline.

Transcript

00:00 Bangerz fans, welcome to ExpressingStar.com on this January transfer window deadline day.

00:12 My name is Jonny Durie.

00:13 I'm alongside Albion correspondent Lewis Cox, and we're going to bring you a little quick

00:17 update on Albion's potential business throughout the day and what could go on from an Albion

00:22 perspective.

00:23 Now, Bangerz fans will have seen the story this morning that Lewis has broke and mentioned

00:28 the other day that Albion are on the verge of signing Winger Mikey Johnston from Celtic.

00:33 This has been something that's been on the cards for a little while now, the last couple

00:37 of weeks, and it looks like it's closed.

00:38 A medical has been completed this morning.

00:40 Lewis, just quickly, an exciting sort of signing.

00:45 Spent I think summer last season in Portugal, but he's been at Celtic for a long time.

00:49 Never been able to fully really break in properly into the sides, but quite exciting.

00:54 Just briefly, what can Albion fans expect?

00:55 Yes, Jonny.

00:56 Yes, I expect that to go through at some point today, obviously before 11pm deadline.

01:01 I haven't watched Mikey Johnston too much.

01:04 I don't watch Scottish football all that often, but obviously you've heard extensive things

01:08 about him the last few days, couple of weeks.

01:10 And yes, everything that I've heard is pretty exciting.

01:12 He's a great age, 24 years old.

01:15 I'm told he's a direct, skilful winger.

01:18 One-on-one is where he thrives.

01:20 I've seen clips where the kind of skill and technique he's pulling out to create goals

01:26 and score goals is exciting.

01:28 I'm told if he comes to the Championship, which obviously he is, he'll be one of the

01:32 division's exciting players.

01:34 So yes, all bodes well.

01:36 He hasn't played that much football for Celtic, admittedly, of late.

01:40 You mentioned that loan in Portugal last season.

01:42 Played quite a bit.

01:43 Not many appearances this term.

01:45 Three league starts I think and six more from the bench for Celtic.

01:49 Obviously relatively tough to get in there, isn't it?

01:51 I mean, he scored a brace on Boxing Day against one of the Dundees, Dundee or Dundee United,

01:56 can't quite remember.

01:57 But yes, in the goals on Boxing Day, which is good to see.

02:01 A couple of years, 24 now, a few years back, he sort of broke through.

02:05 You know, academy player, Glasgow-born, but he's a Republic of Ireland international.

02:10 Broke through, played sort of a dozen games for a few seasons in a row, really had a bit

02:15 of a breakthrough around the time he would have been 19, 20, 21.

02:19 So really a starter.

02:21 As I've reported, the club like him, Brendan Rodgers likes him and he's a regular in the

02:26 squad.

02:27 He's quite often from the bench, certainly in the other competitions as well, seen as

02:30 a threat from the bench in games.

02:32 So just had to wait for the green light and Rodgers to send him out.

02:35 And obviously Carlos Corbijn has been able to further add to his attacking ranks.

02:39 I don't think any of us really, as we headed into January 1st, despite the attacking scenario

02:45 of this season and injuries and absentees, would have envisaged three attackers through

02:50 the door this month, really, given Albion's just the lay of the land, the financial situation

02:54 of the club.

02:55 But three they're going to have made happen in a few hours, as we expect Johnston to add

03:00 to Andy Vajman and of course Callum Marshall.

03:03 So three loanees all in those attacking positions.

03:06 And we think to Saturday coming at the Hawthorns against Blues, it's going to make the make-up

03:11 of Albion's attack.

03:13 Look, all three might be subs on Saturday.

03:15 You know, we've got Wallace, Swift, Fellows.

03:18 But it really adds to that firepower, doesn't it?

03:20 It really adds to those options from the bench and hopefully serves Albion well.

03:25 Yeah, I'm excited to see what Johnston's about.

03:26 I've heard good things.

03:27 In terms of a midfielder, you know, we don't want to get too greedy, but we're told that

03:32 as far as we know, it's a possibility, but it's not confirmed that Albion are going to

03:38 bring in a central midfielder with the injury to Jason Blumberg.

03:41 Yeah, so they're trying.

03:43 That's a bit more of a possible, as I said, no guarantees there.

03:48 Carlos Corbijn has been pretty public, pretty vocal about, certainly since the Molumby thing

03:53 happened at the start, near the start of the month.

03:57 Obviously last played at Swansea on New Year's Day, actually, we didn't sort of see him since.

04:01 That foot problem he was taking injections for got worse, required surgery, and now he's

04:05 done foot for much of the season, sadly, potentially all the season.

04:08 So Carlos Corbijn was pretty open about having to get a midfielder to work, saying, 'Look,

04:12 we need to do this'.

04:13 Admittedly, attack has been the focus, hasn't it?

04:16 And that's why three have come through the door.

04:18 Now, if Albion can make the numbers work, I think they'll try and make the midfielder

04:24 come in.

04:25 That's the ideal.

04:26 They seem to have, Carlos said to me recently, he wants four centre midfielders, he likes

04:31 four centre midfielders.

04:32 As of the moment, there's only three.

04:35 You're Kushloo, Moat, Chaleba.

04:37 Now there are alternatives.

04:38 Swift can play there, Adam Reach can play there.

04:40 Reach is injured at the moment, obviously.

04:42 Harry Whitwell, young Harry Whitwell's in and around it.

04:44 He'll be trusted, but if they can make a fourth happen, another midfielder loan this month.

04:50 It just, I think, depends on the availability out there, what's out there.

04:52 They'll be talking to targets and whether it works with Albion's numbers.

04:56 The numbers are probably fairly stretched, given three attackers through the door.

05:01 So I dare say that's the one that, in about 12 hours' time, Johnny, about quarter past

05:06 11 this evening, when me and you were doing another one of these, that's the one we'll

05:11 potentially have been waiting on all day for, the one to run and run.

05:14 So let's see.

05:15 And just briefly, finally, in terms of outs, nothing, you know, there's been no concrete

05:21 room of interest, but we've heard in the past that Albion do need to reduce the wage bill.

05:25 So if offers come in, I'm sure they'll listen to them.

05:27 But as we've said this week, you know, won't allow themselves to be lowballed with offers

05:33 despite the financial situation.

05:34 Look, we're on February the 1st, deadline day, and we've said all month, and for a couple

05:39 of months actually, haven't we, that the situation with the wage bill, we all know that.

05:44 And we wrote quite a few weeks ago that clubs are watching some of Albion's assets, some

05:50 of their start turns, and ready to come in with bids now.

05:54 None of those have been successful yet that we're aware of, and we're on deadline day

05:58 now.

05:59 This is the worst day to lose a key player, clearly, isn't it?

06:01 You've got no time, or very little time, to replace them.

06:05 I would imagine that if anything happened regarding outgoing Albion, would have to still

06:11 use the time they've got to get something in as a replacement to be forward thinking

06:15 and have things lined up as possible replacements.

06:17 But I don't think the club envisage any high-profile exit at this stage.

06:22 Look, I think what's clear is anything off the wage bill is helpful in the club situation.

06:28 The club situation's getting, despite takeover progressing and takeover talks progressing

06:33 and movement there, the financial situation is getting no easier and no less perilous.

06:39 Anything they can work off the wage bill that they deem doable and acceptable, in terms

06:44 of players that aren't in the immediate first-eleven focus, they will happily and healthily look

06:49 at.

06:50 They will try and make it work.

06:51 But at the same time, you've got to balance up what Carlos Corbán wants in his squad

06:56 and his options and dynamic, haven't you?

06:58 So a bit of a balancing act, but unless anything emerges over the next few hours and today's

07:04 deadline day, then yeah, let's see.

07:07 It doesn't look like anything major, but obviously things can change, things can happen and emerge,

07:13 can't they?

07:14 So I don't want to say anything for definite, but yeah, that's where it is.

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