Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson has agreed to join Crystal Palace in a deal worth £35 million ($47.2m), sources have told ESPN.
ESPN reported earlier this week that the two clubs had agreed a fee but that Johnson had yet to decide on his next club amid interest from Bournemouth, who are looking for a replacement for the Manchester City-bound Antoine Semenyo.
But after talks with Palace boss Oliver Glasner, sources said Johnson has agreed on a move to Selhurst Park. He will start his medical later on Thursday.
Johnson wanted to assess his options before committing to a switch to Palace, with Glasner keen for reinforcements as they try to meet the additional demands of European football for the first time in their history, currently sitting 10th in the UEFA Conference League after six matches.
The Wales international finished last season as Spurs’ top goalscorer after netting 18 times in all competitions including the only goal in May’s historic Europa League final win over Manchester United, securing Tottenham’s first trophy in 17 years.
However, that success was not enough to keep manager Ange Postecoglou in his job and Frank has used Johnson far less, starting just six league games to date.
Johnson joined Spurs from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m (now $64m) in September 2023.
Frank — as has been his season-long tactic — was eager to not be drawn into speaking about the reports but did confirm that Johnson had trained ahead of his return to Brentford on Thursday.
“Again, this is the third time I think I’ve got this question. There’s rumours out there, in general I’ll not comment on that, no matter if we want to sign or sell a player, or get a staff member in or out. I’ve no interest in commenting either way,” Frank said.
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“He contributed to a very good and important win against Crystal Palace. He trained very well [Tuesday]. I expect him fully to be available and able to play against Brentford.
“Brennan is a very important player for us. Sometimes things change if another player comes in. Unfortunately, [Mohammed] Kudus came in for him and played on the right side and has done well,” he said.
“So, it’s been a little bit more tricky to get enough starts. Brennan started the season also quite well from the left.
“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.”
