Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur still have West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper Sam Johnstone on their list of targets going into the summer, as per talkSPORT's Alex Crook who spoke to Give Me Sport.

The 28-year-old has been the subject of considerable interest since the beginning of last summer, with Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham thought to have been the early frontrunners to secure his signature.

At that point, ex-Albion boss Valerien Ismael was resigned to losing the England international and fellow star man Matheus Pereira. Although a move away for the latter did eventually materialise, Johnstone remained at The Hawthorns despite being the subject of a £6m bid from the Hammers.

And with the shot-stopper even staying with the Baggies beyond the end of last month, Antonio Conte's men face a major tussle with other clubs to lure him to north London on a free transfer with his contract in the Midlands expiring at the end of the campaign.

Southampton and Newcastle are also thought to be interested in recruiting Johnstone, with West Ham still in the race despite deciding to devote more energy into pursuing Alphonse Areola in pre-season.

And it has now been revealed by Crook (via Give Me Sport) that Spurs have sustained their interest as they continue to monitor his situation.

At this stage, it's currently unclear whether negotiations are ongoing regarding possible fresh terms at The Hawthorns, although these talks did stall last year with the second-tier side not guaranteed to secure their return to the top flight at the first time of asking.

Verdict:

It wouldn't really make sense for the goalkeeper to sign a new contract at this time - because Albion are currently in danger of falling out of the top six altogether and remaining in the Championship next term could damage his chances of receiving an England call-up for the World Cup.

There's certainly no shortage of competition for a goalkeeping spot, with Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope all in the mix to be on the plane to Qatar along with the 28-year-old.

Considering his performances for Gareth Southgate's men and his displays in the top tier last term, it's clear he's far too good to be competing in his current division and an exit is looking more likely by the day with Albion failing to live up to many peoples' expectations this season.

However, the appointment of Steve Bruce could be a game-changer for his current side and their chances of retaining him, both in terms of clinching promotion and seeing a fresh face come in after falling out with former manager Ismael towards the end of his tenure.

A top-tier return may not even be enough to keep the keeper though, so they face an uphill task in tying him down to fresh terms considering he will have plenty of options at the end of the season.