Manchester United is up against Marc Roca’s team in the pursuit of a 23-year-old Premier League player.

Ben Johnson, a defender for West Ham United, is being pursued by a number of teams this month, including Leeds United. However, a recent report suggests Marc Roca’s loan team Real Betis is also interested in Johnson.

This season, the 23-year-old has had difficulty getting into the game. David Moyes’ initial choice on the right has been Vladimir Coufal, and his preference on the left has been Emerson Palmieri. Johnson is barely moving.

It is true that the Hammers academy product has only been used twice in the Premier League out of eight usages overall. Stuart Pearce called Johnson a “wonderful” player, and Leeds has made him their objective.

We discussed Johnson’s potential transfer with Hammers News last week. However, it now appears that Sheffield United and Southampton are also considering a move, so Leeds are not the only team interested in moving.

TeamTalk, however, has since reported that Johnson is being considered by clubs outside of England. Marc Roca’s Real Betis do indeed wish to entice him to move to Spain. Manuel Pellegrini would be raiding his past with this move.

Villarreal is another team showing interest. They have a history of looking to the English divisions for new players, having signed players like Etienne Capoue, Juan Foyth, and Ben Brereton Diaz. fierce rivalry between the Whites.

Yes, both—Villarreal in the Europa League and Betis in the Conference League—are in Europe following Christmas. The fact that Johnson’s contract will expire at the conclusion of the current campaign is another consideration.

Numerous full-back prospects, including Josh Doig and Connor Roberts, have been linked to Leeds. Nevertheless, Leeds will need to act fast to land Johnson since the competition is getting fierce.