Motherwell use 'plug and play' transfer approach as recruitment task shared with 'every football club in 2026'

The new Fir Park boss previously of Norwegian side Rosenborg has inherited a Premiership side that thrived under predecessor Jens Berthel Askou, finishing fourth, and clinching Conference League qualifiers. They begin against HB Torshavn at the second round qualification stage later this month and Motherwell are in Denmark this week in preparation for those clashes and their domestic season ahead.

How many stars of last term go with them into those battles is to be determined. Elijah Just, Tawanda Maswanhise and Elliot Watt are all attracting interest with Callum Slattery, Stephen Welsh and Liam Gordon already moving on. Replacing crucial players regularly is now a reality for everyone in football and not just Motherwell according to Johansson.

How will Motherwell replace key players if they leave?

“It's a part of every football club,” explained Johansson. “Every football club in 2026 is asked to do that. So even the biggest clubs in Europe, they are buying young talent to develop them even to their level. So it's a part of every football club, a well-run football club, I would like to say. Motherwell has a record, especially I want to praise again Nick Daws (head of football) for how the squad's been developing the last couple of years. There's been a lot of good players getting sold from here, key players getting sold from Motherwell FC in the past. The recruitment, the scouting has been strong.

“So before these names, it was another one. And that's just a testament of the work that's been done. And need be, then I'm confident that the club will be able to do that again. Rosenborg was exact same, I guess. Develop, sell on, replace. It's how it works in the business. Then it's just the question of how big of a transfer fee, how good are you capable to pay as a club, how good is your scouting and recruitment, and all that. That was a part of my time there and that's how it should be.”

There’s yet to be a signing made at Motherwell in terms of incomings but Johansson only arrived in mid-June. The club have been working on targets behind the scenes while the new boss hunt has been ongoing and that approach is something the 35-year-old has found easy to adapt with.

Motherwell transfer latest

”It's just to get to know, firstly, the squad that we have with all those very committed players that we have,” the Swede added. “Just getting to know them and then, obviously, together with Nick , having a look at players. We need to do our due diligence and we need to look at potential players coming in the future.

“The good thing here is that there's a fit between the way that I want to play football and the way that the club wants to play football, which means that the scouting processes that Nick has been initiating since a long time ago is just plug and play. So it's something that we are getting into all those processes right now and it's just kind of smooth and easy, to be honest.”