Leeds United and Sheffield United are in the running to sign the captain of Rotherham United.
News of the Whites’ interest in the Swedish keeper came from Aftonbladet, a publication from his native country. According to the newspaper, the Whites are considering the 25-year-old as a possible alternative for the upcoming campaign.
The Millers’ captain, Johansson, recently expressed his desire to remain with the team after they were demoted to League One.
According to the Rotherham Advertiser, he stated that he would be “100% okay” with sticking at Rotherham for the upcoming season.
“I haven’t really thought about the summer,” he continued. Here, I’m still totally concentrated. We want to at least find something worthwhile to close out the season with because we haven’t done well enough.”
Despite these claims, Aftonbladet have said that the Swedish number one is not planing on staying with Steve Evans’ team for the 2024/25 campaign.
The keeper signed a new deal with the club last season which included a clause that meant, if Rotherham were relegated to the third tier, that a release clause of £1 million would be activated.
Clubs like Sheffield United have been linked with a move for the Swede, and the Advertiser also understands that interest from around Europe is expected, but the Swedish outlet believes that Daniel Farke’s team lead the way in the hunt for the keeper.
The Scottish manager recently returned to his old club, following the departure of Leam Richardson. He knows of the number of clubs that are lining up potential offers for the shot-stopper.
“He’s got a huge amount of interest in him, absolutely, and I am not surprised,” said Evans, via the Advertiser.
“I have watched Viktor against my team when I was at Gillingham and when I have been sitting in the stands at Rotherham games.
“I watched him for 20 minutes in his first training session and I shouted across to Raynor (number two Paul): ‘That boy is the real deal.’ It’s everything he does: his professionalism, his hands and his saves.”
Despite Evans’ admission about interest in the club captain, he’s not just accepted that Johansson is gone, although his activated release clause will make it hard to hold onto him.
The new manager also hinted at a possible chance for back-up shot-stopper Dillon Phillips to show what he’s got in the final two games of the 23/24 campaign
The Whites already have both Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow under contract until the summer of 2026, and 23-year-old third-choice keeper Kristoffer Klaesson until the summer before then.
Leeds’ glaring area that they need to reinforce isn’t between the sticks, so this would be a strange deal for them to try and do.
Meslier has been their first choice this season, and the Frenchman is expected to be confident on the ball. He often doesn’t have a lot of saves to make, because his teammates are usually at the other end of the pitch.
Johansson is best suited to a team like Rotherham; one that needs its keeper to make a lot of saves in games, claim crosses, and hit the ball long.
His attributes, and the way that United want to play, don’t align at all.
