Tottenham are reportedly set to open talks with Nottingham Forest over a move for Brennan Johnson.
The north Londoners have already signed Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Manor Solomon, while also turning Dejan Kulusevski’s loan from Juventus into a permanent deal. Before Thursday’s transfer deadline, new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou wants to bring in a forward as he looks to bolster the attack following Harry Kane’s departure.
According to The Telegraph, Tottenham could offer cash-plus players, with Davinson Sanchez and Bryan Gil likely to be two players who could be part of any potential deal for Nottingham Forest star Brennan Johnson. Forest value Johnson at over £50 million, but Spurs hope an offer of £40 million plus guaranteed instalments will be enough to prise him away from City Ground.
Johnson, 22, was a standout performer for Forest last season as he registered eight goals and three assists to help the club avoid relegation from the Premier League. The report adds Chelsea and Brentford have also shown interest in the 22-year-old, with the latter offering £40m for the Wales international earlier this summer.
Brennan Johnson to Nottingham Forest—Top signing?
Harry Kane departed for Bayern Munich as part of a transfer deal worth £100 million earlier this month, but the striker’s absence doesn’t appear to have stung a new-look Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou so far. Postecoglou’s Spurs side are unbeaten after three games, picking up seven points from nine.
However, now in the final week of the transfer window, the Australian tactician is understandably keen to add more firepower to his squad, just to ensure the north Londoners have enough depth in the attacking unit. One player to catch his eye is Brennan Johnson, with Spurs now planning to test Forest’s resolve with a bid for their last season’s standout performer.
Johnson is far from a like-for-like replacement for Kane, but that is fine for Postecoglou and Spurs as they not seeking to replace the club’s record goalscorer with a player of a similar profile. Instead, they are eyeing a versatile forward that can operate in multiple positions across the front line—and Johnson fits the bill perfectly.
The Wales international was used out wide, behind the striker and as the centre-forward at various points last season as Steve Cooper continually tweaked his system to get the best out of his otherwise bloated squad. The 22-year-old performed admirably well despite his teammates blowing hot and cold, making 11-goal contributions to help the Tricky Trees beat the drop.
If Johnson does arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he will improve their attacking quality whilst adding competition for Richarlison, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski. His experience of one top-flight season could come in handy should he join Spurs and Postecoglou could play him anywhere across the front line as per his tactics.
With seven points from nine across their opening three fixtures and without Kane, Postecoglou couldn’t have asked for a better start at Spurs. And if he manages to get Johnson through the door at the club, Spurs’ chances of making the top four will seriously be boosted.
