WALSALL, ENGLAND - JUNE 24: Josh Griffiths of West Bromwich Albion at West Bromwich Albion Training Ground on June 24, 2022 in Walsall, England. (Photo by Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images)
In fact, one of West Bromwich Albion’s hardly seen players has been connected to an unexpected possible summer transfer to the Premier League, which is the newest link in the EFL.
Josh Griffiths is being considered by Crystal Palace.
An intriguing nugget of information about Crystal Palace’s summer transfer ambitions may be found in an article published in The Sun that describes the team’s hunt for Roy Hodgson’s eventual replacement.
The goalkeeping position is one that the Eagles are apparently considering, since Palace anticipates that Sam Johnstone will leave the team in the upcoming transfer window.
Johnstone joined the team in 2022, but he hasn’t been able to reclaim his top spot since losing it to Dean Henderson due to an injury.
As a result, Palace is ‘checking’ on goalkeepers. Josh Griffiths of West Brom is one player who is rumored to have ‘caught the eye’ of the Premier League team.
It’s a surprising connection since Griffiths has only appeared in cup competitions for the Baggies this season—twice in the FA Cup and once in the EFL Cup.
The career of Josh Griffiths thus far
Of course, in his brief career thus far, Griffiths—who is only 22 years old—has already participated in regular first-team football abroad.
Although he was raised in the Baggies junior system, he has taken use of loan opportunities to develop into a somewhat seasoned shot-stopper given his young.
During the 2020–21 season, Griffiths was loaned to League Two Cheltenham Town for his first loan period.
Griffiths made 50 appearances in all competitions during that time, recording an amazing 23 clean sheets to enable the team advance to League One as fourth-tier winners.
The next season, Griffiths would go out on loan to Lincoln in League One, where he made 35 appearances across all competitions and kept two clean sheets for the team.
Before being called up by the Baggies for a second loan to League One the previous season, Griffiths made 28 appearances and kept eight clean sheets for Portsmouth.
After making his comeback, Griffiths played in ten Championship games; however, this was primarily because regular number one Alex Palmer was injured. Palmer was able to retake the position before the season ended and has held it ever since.
Interestingly, if Palace were to make a move for Griffiths, this summer would potentially be a suitable time to do so considering the goalkeeper’s current contract predicament.
In fact, Griffiths’ current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2025; his previous contract ended in 2021.
This implies that by the summer, the 22-year-old will only have 12 months left on his contract with the team, which may have an impact on his value.
Over the coming months, it will be intriguing to watch if Palace’s initial interest in Griffiths materializes into actual involvement.
