LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Spurs fans wave their flags during the Capital One Cup Final match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on March 1, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Spurs: Brennan Johnson could be the heir to Bale
The 22-year-old has previously been likened to his former Wales colleague…
There has been an update regarding Tottenham Hotspur’s apparent interest in Nottingham Forest forward, Brennan Johnson.
What’s the latest on Brennan Johnson to Tottenham?
With the Daily Mail previously reporting that the Lilywhites are eyeing a move for the 22-year-old should Harry Kane leave the club this summer, the same publication is now suggesting that the north Londoners could be willing to offer players as part of a deal to bring the Wales international to N17.
As per the report, both Joe Rodon and Djed Spence could potentially be on the table as a possible bargaining chip in Spurs’ bid to land Johnson, with the defensive duo having previously worked under Steve Cooper at Swansea City and Forest, respectively.
The piece notes that the City Ground outfit are not likely to budge on their £50m valuation of the 5 foot 10 speedster, hence why Daniel Levy and co could look to serve up Rodon and Spence to try and reduce the asking price, with the pair seemingly surplus to requirements under Ange Postecoglou.
How good is Brennan Johnson?
While £50m may appear a rather steep sum for a player who has just a solitary season of top-flight football under his belt to date, if Spurs can strike a cash-plus-player deal instead it could well prove an astute move, with Johnson having sparkled in recent years.
Having chipped in with 26 goals and assists as part of Forest’s successful promotion push during the 2021/22 campaign, the one-time Lincoln City loanee also made a rather smooth transition to life in the Premier League last time out, after scoring eight goals and providing three assists from his attacking berth.
Lauded as a “livewire” by journalist Ciaran Kelly last season, the emerging gem has also caught the eye at international level to date, with national team boss Rob Page describing him as “arguably one of the best counter-attacking centre-forwards in the Premier League at this moment”.
With Page and Wales having seen former talisman Gareth Bale announce his retirement following the World Cup last year, there has been suggestion that Johnson could be the man to replace the ex-Spurs man as the new attacking figurehead for his country.
It also could be said that the youngster can be the potential successor to Bale in north London, with the £30k-per-week sensation also an exciting, attacking threat who can make the difference in the final third.
One key attribute that Johnson shares with his former international colleague is his “frightening” pace – as described by compatriot Joe Allen – with Bale having also been the subject of the same praise from Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane back in 2013, prior to his eventual move to the Bernabeu.
As the one-time Southampton showed at his pomp – including on that night against Inter Milan in the Champions League in 2010 – he had the ability to breeze past players with ease, with Johnson also sharing that trait as he ranks in the top 9% among his European peers for progressive carries per 90.
As his form last season – and in the second tier prior to that – has showcased, the latter man also has the end product to go with that startling speed, ensuring he could attempt to match the levels of Bale, who scored 72 goals and registered 58 assists in 237 games for the club in total during his two spells in the capital.
While comparing Johnson to such an iconic figure may appear foolish, it is worth pointing out that prior to hitting 21 league goals in his final season before moving to Madrid, Bale had actually never reached double figures for top-flight goals, thus showcasing that the Forest ace could follow a similar trajectory and truly explode in the years to come under Postecoglou’s watch.
