Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified a Premier League goalkeeper as a potential January transfer target.
Spurs are currently having to cope without the services of first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines after undergoing ankle surgery at the end of November.
Fraser Forster has since filled the void between the sticks, but his recent performances for Ange Postecoglou's side have come under scrutiny.
The 36-year-old has kept just once clean sheet in 10 appearances since replacing Vicario, conceding 22 goals in the process, and he was at fault for two goals conceded in Spurs' 4-3 EFL Cup win over Manchester United last month.
Tottenham have subsequently been tipped to recruit a new goalkeeper in January, with Postecoglou confirming that the club intend to be active in the winter window.
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Tottenham step up Johnstone pursuit?
Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has regularly been linked with a move to Tottenham and is believed to be valued at around £20m.
A move for fellow Championship shot-stoppers Anthony Patterson and Pierce Charles of Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday respectively has also been mooted, while Angers' Yahia Fofana is also alleged to be on the radar of the North Londoners.
Now, The Mirror reports that Spurs are stepping up their 'shock interest' in Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
The report adds that the 31-year-old's home-grown status is of added interest to Spurs, who are expected to part ways with Forster at the end of this season when his contract expires.
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What does the future hold for Johnstone?
Johnstone was signed by Wolves for a reported £10m from Crystal Palace last summer, with the goalkeeper opting to leave Selhurst Park after losing his starting spot to Dean Henderson.
The four-cap England international was handed five successive Premier League starts between August and October, but he has since been leapfrogged in the pecking order by Jose Sa following a string of unconvincing performances for a Wolves side struggling towards the bottom of the table.
Vitor Pereira was appointed as Wolves' new head coach last month, replacing Gary O'Neil, and has since picked up seven points from a possible nine available in the Premier League, with Sa keeping two clean sheets in the process.
Johnstone is under contract at Molineux until June 2028 and it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to accept a move to Tottenham knowing that he would act as a stop-gap while Vicario recovers from injury.
Oliver Thomas
