West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is likely to stay put at the Hawthorns for the whole of this season, according to Noel Whelan.
The Lowdown: Spurs linked with move
Johnstone ended up staying put at West Brom this summer, despite constant reports claiming he would move to a Premier League club.
Tottenham have now been tipped to sign the England international in the January transfer window, seeing him a possible replacement for Hugo Lloris.
The Latest: Johnstone tipped to stay
Speaking to Football Insider, however, former Leeds United striker Whelan claimed Johnstone would likely see out the campaign with the Baggies, highlighting his importance and explaining why allowing him to leave wouldn't make sense:
"You’ve got to look at West Brom’s predicament. They’re sitting at the top, they’re looking to get promoted back to the Premier League. He’s a big part of that.
"Can you afford to lose a player like that or sell a player like that in January when you’re so close to maybe getting back to the Premier League? I’m not so sure.
"They might be better off keeping him until the end of the season. Making sure you’ve got a quality international goalkeeper in between your sticks.
"It could be that the fine line of you’re getting promoted or not. It’s a double-edged sword, risk and reward. You’ve got to take that chance to keep as many international players in that team as possible."
The Verdict: Vital player in promotion push
Johnstone is a massive player for West Brom - he has been hailed as 'magnificent' by former Baggies manager Sam Allardyce in the past - so losing him in January would be a huge blow.
The goalkeeper is integral to Valerien Ismael's side's promotion push, as they look for a swift return to the Premier League.
It could be that Johnstone wants to move on at the end of the season - whether or not West Brom have gone up could be key to that decision - but they need him to stay for the time being.
In other news, some West Brom fans are keen for one player to sign a new deal. Find out who it is here.