Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson has been heavily linked with a move to Crystal Palace.
The January transfer window is on the horizon, and Tottenham Hotspur are preparing themselves for a busy one. The Lilywhites are planning to strengthen their squad after dropping into the bottom half of the table.
Thomas Frank has been under severe pressure, but some of that was relieved thanks to Spurs’ hard-fought 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday. Nonetheless, it is evident that they require strengthening in certain areas of the field if the Lilywhites intend to finish in the European spots this season. And one Tottenham player could kickstart their January transfer movements.
As per reliable journalist David Ornstein, Tottenham and Crystal Palace have agreed a £35m deal for Brennan Johnson. The 24-year-old is set to decide whether he wants to join Crystal Palace after Spurs have made their intentions clear to sell him in the upcoming transfer window.
Thomas Frank addresses Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace story
Tottenham will be in Premier League action on New Year’s Eve when they travel to the Gtech Community Stadium to face Brentford. This is the reverse Premier League fixture, having beaten Brentford 2-0 at home at the start of December.
Addressing the media in his press conference on Tuesday, Thomas Frank was asked to provide his take on Johnson to Crystal Palace rumours. The Spurs boss stated, revealing a rather blunt verdict (h/t Football London):
“Again, it’s the third time I’ve had that question. I won’t comment on rumours. Brennan has been a top professional. Trained well today and is ready in two days’ time.”
Frank staying coy on speculation surrounding Johnson makes sense. In today’s age and market, things change quickly and any situation could unfold in a span of hours. Tottenham agreeing fee with Palace means they are ready to cut their losses on Johnson and reinvest the amount on potentially signing his upgrade.
Going forward, Frank also applauded Johnson’s professionalism during this difficult patch in his Tottenham career. He rates the Wales international’s attributes and wants to keep him at the club, stating that the winger is ready for the Brentford game.
“As I said, Brennan is a very important player for us. Sometimes things change if another player comes in. Unfortunately, Kudos came in for him and played on the right side and has done well. So it’s been a little bit more tricky to get enough starts. He started the season also quite well from the left,” Frank added.
“I think Brennan has a lot of attributes. Very good running in behind, very good scoring goals. That’s a good quality. So, some of those key things is fantastic. Also working hard for the team, but you need more than just 11 players. That’s the way it is. I think Brennan has been a top professional, is a top professional, trained well today. He’s ready for two days’ time.”
The good thing is Johnson is fit, ready and focused for Tottenham’s upcoming trip to Brentford. Given his lack of regular minutes this season, the 24-year-old would be wise to jump at the chance of joining Palace and reigniting his career under the astute Oliver Glasner.