Sunderland defender Zak Johnson could be set for a permanent departure from the Premier League side this summer, after impressing on loan with National League side York City.
The 20-year-old is currently on loan with the title-chasing side, following his arrival in November and has played a key role under manager Stuart Maynard thus far.
York currently find themselves second in the National League and haven’t lost since early November, but remain a point behind leaders Rochdale having played a game more.
York manager reveals club stance on Johnson’s future
Maynard’s side comfortably disposed of Wealdstone last weekend, with Johnson himself getting on the scoresheet for his side in the second half. This was his first senior goal and his second goal contribution of the campaign.
After the match, the York manager spoke highly of Johnson, tipping him for an exciting future whilst also discussing their chances of making the move permanent at the end of the 2025/26 season.
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During an interview with the York Press, manager Stuart Maynard spoke extremely positively towards Johnson stating…
“What a performance again from Zak Johnson. He’s just going from strength to strength, we’ve worked with him before and we knew he had the attributes, but he’s going from strength to strength.
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“He’s going to be some player. I think that when you’re young, [playing consecutive matches] is how you learn. He’s like the ultimate pro, off the pitch he works so incredibly hard in the gym after training, he’s always demanding, when we do a de-load week he wants to do extras and he’s demanding all of the time because he wants to keep improving.
However, it was the latter stages of the interview which Sunderland and York fans are likely to pay the most attention to. Whilst discussing the long-term future of Johnson, Maynard added…
“Of course we would [like to sign Johnson permanently], 100 per cent. When we went in to loan him we knew all about Zak, on and off of the pitch…
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”He’s got a real chance, conversations come at the end of the season, you just never know. We’ve got him with us now so let’s enjoy him, we’ll keep working with him to make him a better player because he makes us a better team.”
York have a history when it comes to signing loanees permanently, with fellow defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott joining from Cardiff City during the previous campaign.
Johnson meanwhile is currently entering the final few months of his contract at Premier League side Sunderland, and could become a free agent this summer with his three-year deal set to expire in June.
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How likely are York’s chances of signing him permanently?
Currently, York are sitting in second-place in the National League, having missed out on promotion last season in the play-offs. They are a point behind Rochdale but face them on the final day of the season in what could be a very nail-biting afternoon.
With Johnson impressing currently, there is a likelihood that his displays are also attracting EFL attention, especially with his contract concluding at the end of the season.
There are yet to be discussions between Johnson and Sunderland regarding a potential extension, which is likely to be news to the ears of York supporters – further increasing their chances of signing him permanently.
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However, these hopes may be reliant on York clinching promotion back to the EFL this season. If they stay in the fifth-tier once again, Johnson may look to test himself in League Two next season rather than return to York.
In terms of their chances meanwhile, the fact that the 20-year-old is out of contract this summer increases York’s chances of a permanent move, but they are highly likely to face strong competition this time around.