Crystal Palace have agreed a club-record £35m fee with Tottenham for Brennan Johnson but are facing strong competition from Bournemouth to sign the Wales forward.
Palace are desperate for reinforcements in attack after a punishing schedule that has seen them play 30 games in all competitions this season because of their Conference League commitments. With Senegal forward Ismaïla Sarr away at the African Cup of Nations, the club identified Johnson as their primary target for the January window and opened talks with Tottenham several weeks ago.
The south-east London club have now agreed a deal for the 24-year-old that could surpass their record signing of Christian Benteke from Liverpool in August 2016. However, it is understood that Johnson has yet to decide on his future, with Bournemouth now expected to match Palace’s offer as they search for a replacement for Antoine Semenyo. The Ghana forward is likely to join Manchester City in a deal worth £65m.
Aston Villa, Brentford and Everton have also been linked with Johnson but have yet to make an approach. The player, who joined Spurs from Nottingham Forest in September 2023 for £47.5m, is expected to weigh up his options in the coming days before making a decision.
Johnson has struggled for game time at Tottenham under Thomas Frank this season and started only six times in the Premier League. He was Spurs’ leading goalscorer last season and struck the winner in the Europa League final to earn their first major silverware since 2008.
Johnson came on as an 85th-minute substitute in Tottenham’s win over Palace on Sunday and Frank insisted he remains an important member of his squad. “Brennan is very important for us,” the Dane said. “Maybe he didn’t get many minutes, but unfortunately, we can only play 11 players.”
If he departs, Tottenham are expected to seek a replacement in January and they have been linked with exciting RB Leipzig teenager Yan Diomande, Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus.
