Reported Rangers transfer target Sam Johnstone was sent off for West Brom on Sunday after a late refereeing decision and his manager’s reaction to it, sparked a melee.
The Gers were credited with interest in England international goalkeeper Johnstone by TEAMtalk last month.
It was asserted that the champions of Scotland are one of a host of clubs keen on snapping him up on a pre-contract deal, with senior Ibrox keepers Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin both set to be out of contract in the summer.
Premier League clubs Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle are amongst the other teams said to be interested.
When the transfer report emerged, Johnstone was in excellent form.
He’d kept eleven clean sheets in 22 Championship appearances, with West Brom pushing for promotion back to the Premier League.
However, since then, things have gone badly for both the 28-year-old and his current club.
The Baggies lost 1-0 at bottom-of-the-table Derby County in their last league outing of 2021, with Johnstone at fault for Colin Kazim-Richards’ winner.
And the reported Gers target followed his howler against the Rams with a red card against Cardiff City at the weekend.
With the scores locked at 1-1 and the final whistle approaching, West Brom were denied what even Cardiff boss Steve Morison described as a ‘stonewall penalty’ [BBC Sport].
Angry Baggies boss Valerien Ismael marched onto the pitch to protest, sparking a melee.
Johnstone and Aden Flint clashed and both players were sent off by referee Thomas Bramall once an element of order had been restored.
The keeper now faces a period out of action due to suspension.
Meanwhile, a former Rangers player is reportedly in advanced talks to become manager of a Scottish club.
