Johnston is going nowhere say Sturm Graz

Tuesday, 20 August 2024, 6:30
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1 min read

If the Swans did have an interest in Max Johnston – which Luke Williams hinted is probably the case – then it looks like it ended yesterday with a simple response from his club that the player was going nowhere.

Interest in the player first surfaced last week when it was reported in several places that he was a target for not just the Swans but also potentially Oxford and Stoke City as well after a season in Austria which saw him very much a bit part player as the league and cup double was secured by Sturm Graz.

Hisย  move to Austria last year was said to be despite interest from elsewhere in Europe including both the Premier League and Championship and it was suggested at the time that the club could have felt that a Championship loan was the best action to continue his development.

Luke Williams was asked about any potential move at the weekend with his response only really hinting at what they were thinking when he saidย “As you can imagine I’m going to straight-bat that one.

“I think that he’s a versatile player. He plays on the outside of the pitch, yes, but he’s quite a dynamic player. I know that because I’ve seen the boy play and know some bits about him, but there’s nothing more I can tell you.”

However, on Monday afternoon Sturm Graz sporting director Andreas Schicker was also asked about any potential move for Max and his answer was much more forthright when he said โ€œWe want to keep Max and we donโ€™t want to let him go.

โ€œWe have three players we have told can leave the club โ€“ Szymon Wlodarczyk, Manprit Sarkaria and Amadou Dante. Max is not on that list.โ€

It seems relatively clear from that statement that we can rule the Swans out from any move for the player.ย  Whilst “hands off” statements can always be tested on a permanent deal it was relatively clear here that any move would be a loan one and you can be relatively certain that on that basis Johnston will not be leaving Austria this summer.

In terms of targets and positions where strength is required this shouldn’t be seen as the biggest blow for the Swans given the performances of Josh Key on the right hand side.

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Images courtesy of Getty Images, Athena Picture Agency and Swansea City Football Club.

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Roger Freestone

13,684 messages 1,382 likes

Any player of any note plying their trade in the Scottish Premiership would come to the attention of Celtic and Rangers. I can honestly say I had never heard of him before last week.

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Phil Sumbler

Been watching the Swans since the very late 1970s and running the Planet Swans website (in all its current and previous guises since the summer of 2001 As it stood JackArmy.net was right at the forefront of some of the activity against Tony Petty back in 2001, breaking many of the stories of the day as fans stood against the actions where the local media failed. Was involved with the Swans Supporters Trust from 2005, for the large part as Chairman before standing down in the summer of 2020.

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