Done deal. Crystal Palace have officially confirmed the signing of Brennan Johnson from Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record fee of £35 million. Sources confirm the Welsh international has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract and will wear the number 11 shirt at Selhurst Park.
The 24-year-old completed his medical on Friday and is available for Sunday's Premier League trip to Newcastle.
What Glasner said
Palace boss Oliver Glasner moved quickly to get this over the line. The Austrian had been pushing the club's hierarchy for attacking reinforcements since November. He got his man on day two of the window.
"I'm really delighted that Brennan has joined the club," Glasner said upon announcement. "He arrives very early in the window, so credit to the club for making this happen so quickly. Brennan will give us options in our attacking play with his pace and goalscoring ability and with all the upcoming games he will be a valuable addition to the squad."
The numbers behind the deal
Here's the breakdown:
- Fee: £35m (£33.5m base + add-ons per Fabrizio Romano)
- Contract: Four-and-a-half years
- Shirt number: 11
- Spurs arrival fee (2023): £47.5m from Nottingham Forest
- Loss for Tottenham: £12.5m
This makes Johnson the fourth-largest sale in Tottenham's history, behind Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, and Kyle Walker.
Why Spurs let him go
Johnson scored the winning goal in last May's Europa League final against Manchester United. Seven months later, he's out the door. That tells you everything about Thomas Frank's approach.
The Dane has started Johnson in just six Premier League matches this season. Mohammed Kudus arrived and claimed the right wing. Johnson found himself on the fringes despite finishing as Spurs' top scorer last term with 18 goals across all competitions.
"Sometimes things change if another player comes in," Frank said earlier this week. "Unfortunately, Kudus came in for him and played on the right side and has done well. So it's been a little bit more tricky to get enough starts."
Johnson's first words
The Wales international knows he needs minutes ahead of a potential World Cup year for his country. He's already eyeing European glory with his new club.
"I'm really excited and I'm really happy," Johnson said. "Crystal Palace are such a great club, one that I've always admired."
Palace chairman Steve Parish added context: "I'm delighted that Brennan has joined us – an exciting young talent with an excellent recent record in domestic, continental and international football. We feel we are the perfect place for Brennan to continue his already impressive journey."
The bigger picture
This is Palace's first major signing since selling Eberechi Eze to Arsenal for £67.5m last summer. They're competing on three fronts – Premier League, FA Cup, and Conference League – and needed attacking depth with Ismaila Sarr at the Africa Cup of Nations.
For Spurs, it's another summer signing moved on at a loss. The club now has funds to pursue their own targets, with sources indicating Frank wants a new centre-back before the window closes.
Johnson leaves Tottenham with 27 goals in 107 appearances. One of those goals won them a trophy. The first in 17 years. He deserved better than to be frozen out.
