MIKEY JOHNSTON could be set to leave West Brom in a £5 million move to Brazil, according to reports.
Per Lewis Cork of The Express & Star, the Ireland international is being lined up for a move to Flamengo.
He is set to leave West Brom and join Flamengo[/caption]
The seven-time Brazilian champions and one of the most supported clubs in the country have apparently made a formal approach to sign the winger.
According to Cook, Johnston said his goodbyes to his Baggies teammates and will fly to Rio de Janeiro to complete the move.
The 26-year-old potentially moving to the three times winners of the Copa Libertadores caught many fans on social media off guard.
One said: “The devil works hard but mikey Johnston’s agent works harder. Hows he f***ing swung this”
A second remarked: “The Republic of Ireland‘s Mikey Johnston leaving #WBA for Flamengo is one of the strangest transfers I’ve seen for a long while.
“How did the Samba scouting system lead them to the Black Country?“
A third hailed: “Mikey f***ing Johnston is off to [Brazil] absolutely buzzing for the boy.
“What a turnaround. From the being vilified at Celtic (by some) to the big stage. Fair play to him!”
And a fourth said: “You won’t find more leftfield transfers this summer than Flamengo signing Mikey Johnston.
“Will be (I think) the first Republic of Ireland international ever to play in South America.”
Johnston signed for West Brom for £3 million just last summer from Celtic, and put pen to paper on a four-year contract.
He had spent the previous season on loan at the Championship club, scoring seven goals in 18 league appearances.
In his one, and potentially only, full season with the Baggies, he featured 40 times in the league.
He scored three goals and picked up five assists as they finished ninth, four points shy of the play-off spots.
The former Scotland youth international has won 15 caps for the Republic of Ireland since making his debut in a 3-2 win over Latvia in March 2023.
His last appearance came in the Nations League relegation play-off against Bulgaria back in March.
Johnston started both legs as Heimir Hallgrimsson‘s men preserved their League B status with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
He will be keen to be back in the squad when they kick-off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Hungary on September 6.
