West Brom join hunt for Johnson

West Brom have joined Birmingham in the battle to sign Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson.

Albion have made an initial £2million bid plus Welsh international Robert Earnshaw as they try to lure Johnson away from Selhurst Park following the Eagles’ relegation from the Barclays Premiership.

Palace chairman Simon Jordan is understood to have knocked back the bid while Johnson has publicly pledged his future to Palace.

But the feeling remains that Johnson will have to stay in the top flight if he wants to realise his England ambitions after making the initial breakthrough with Sven-Goran Eriksson’s squad.

It is also a clear indication of Albion’s intentions to establish themselves in the top flight that they are prepared to try and sign a player of the quality of Johnson who scored 22 goals last season.

Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace has insisted the accent will be on quality as they target five new signings before the start of the 2005-2006 campaign.

Albion manager Bryan Robson has an ageing strike force at his disposal in Geoff Horsfield (31) and Kevin Campbell (35), while Earnshaw’s general contribution unless he is scoring has sometimes been questioned.

Birmingham are still deciding whether to make a concrete bid for Johnson who quit St Andrews for Palace three years ago and has since made massive strides forward.

But they haveinquired about the 24-year-old and Blues manager Steve Bruce, currently on holiday, has admitted he made a mistake in allowing Johnson to leave.

If they do move for Johnson it will also be a cash-plus-player package – with the possibility of former Palace player Clinton Morrison heading back to London - although Chelsea’s Mikael Forssell remains the number one target for Bruce.

Johnson is in the England squad for the two-game tour of the United States and nothing will be resolved before he flies out with the squad on Tuesday.