Tottenham Hotspur are set to secure their Harry Kane replacement after agreeing a deal with Nottingham Forest to bring Brennan Johnson to north London.
Spurs and Forest were about £10m apart in terms of proposed fee yesterday but after further negotiations today, Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer for The Independent, reports that a deal worth an initial £45m, that could rise to £50m, has been agreed.
Johnson is now on his way to Spurs’ training ground to complete his move ahead of the 11pm BST transfer deadline this evening.
Forest had initially set a price of £40m, which Brentford matched but saw their offer rebuffed, with owner Evangelos Marinakis understood to see the west London club as a direct rival.
The 22-year-old Johnson was open to a move to Brentford but his first preference was Tottenham and now appears to have got his wish.
Earlier on Friday in his pre-match press conference, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou remained tight-lipped on transfers despite the Johnson deal edging ever closer.
Spurs travel to Burnley on Saturday but are braced for a busy end to transfer deadline day with activity expected in both incomings and outgoings.
Postecoglou said: “Again, I am kind of in a position where other people are in control of those matters and I am not brought into the loop until things are concluded.
“For me to talk about potential players, in or out, I don’t think it is my place to talk about it. In nine or 10 hours we’ll find out and go from there.”
Meanwhile, Wales boss Rob Page, who selected Johnson in his latest squad for a friendly with South Korea and crunch Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia, backed the transfer earlier this week, although warned against any comparisons to Kane.
“I wouldn’t even talk about the Harry Kane situation and going in to fill that,” said Page. “He’s his own person and player, a different type of player. I think he’s just got to go.
“Young players today – and Brennan falls into this category – are a confident breed and he’s more than capable of playing at that level (for Tottenham).
“I think Brennan has a good support network around him. I know his dad (David), who used to play so he’s been through all this himself. You need that network as a young lad. I don’t believe he will get carried with it. He will stay grounded and won’t change.
“You don’t go into a club expecting to fill somebody’s else’s boots. He’s a very different player to Harry and, if he goes there, it is on his own ability and what he can offer to the team.”
