Crystal Palace are hopeful that Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson could play for the club against Newcastle United this weekend, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.
The Eagles agreed a fee worth £35m for the Wales international earlier this week but were waiting to find out if Johnson would be willing to make the move, with a number of other clubs showing an interest ahead of the January transfer window opening.
But the club has now booked a medical for the next 24 hours for Johnson, with a hope that the 24-year-old could make his debut as early as the Premier League game against the Magpies at St James' Park.
Medical Booked for Brennan Johnson
Johnson, who has been described as 'rapid', has fallen down the pecking order under Thomas Frank at Spurs, despite scoring the winning goal in the Europa League final back in May to hand the club their first trophy in 17 years.
With Palace struggling with the fixture schedule recently, Oliver Glasner has made it clear to the club that he is keen to bring in reinforcements during the January window and GMS understands that Johnson was the club's top target.
A deal has been agreed between the clubs, and the player is expected to travel for a medical imminently ahead of potentially debuting on Sunday. The £35m deal will be a club-record signing, surpassing the £27m they spent on Christian Benteke in 2016. It also represents a good value deal, with Johnson having signed for Spurs for £47.5m in the summer of 2023 from Nottingham Forest.
Johnson could go straight into the lineup if a deal is completed in time, with Eddie Nketiah injured, while Ismaila Sarr is currently representing Senegal at AFCON.
Sunderland Made Late Hijack Attempt
GIVEMESPORT sources can reveal that Johnson has now given his green light to a move to Selhurst Park, and that's despite Sunderland making a late attempt to hijack the move with a bid.
The Black Cats have been excellent since their promotion to the top-flight and currently sit seventh in the table, but have lost a number of key players to AFCON this month. Regis Le Bris is keen to keep the momentum and wanted to bring the Welsh forward in, but he has opted for Palace instead.
Everton and Bournemouth, who are looking to replace Man City-bound Antoine Semenyo, were also both interested in the winger, but it's Crystal Palace who have won the race for his signature barring a late twist in the tale.