As the 2026 January transfer window begins to draw nearer, Tottenham Hotspur are juggling both potential incomings to vastly upgrade an anemic attack in the 2025/26 season while balancing out outgoings to earn revenue and clear out the squad of young players who are talented but no longer have a role to play.
One of the most discussed names right now is right winger Brennan Johnson, who went from the hero of the Europa League Final with the winning goal over Manchester United back to what he was for the majority of the 2024/25 season - a total non factor.
Coming into the 2025/26 campaign, there was hope that new Spurs manager Thomas Frank could get more out of Johnson, but, if anything, Frank has gotten even less out of him. That is largely because Mohammed Kudus has been everything Johnson was not as an all around winger on the right side, and with his failure to slot in on the left, his fate as a Tottenham transfer in January has likely been sealed.
Two big clubs are after Brennan Johnson now
There are notable clubs around the Premier League lining up to take a gamble on one of the best pure scoring wingers and poachers in the United Kingdom. Crystal Palace have been the most mentioned, and Bournemouth have recently joined the fray, too.
But now, according to a report from Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, two even more historic Premier League clubs are now interested in acquiring Brennan Johnson, Everton and Aston Villa. Perhaps selling Johnson to either of these clubs could open up a dream Morgan Rogers swoop for Spurs or even a Tottenham Hotspur transfer for explosive dribbler Iliman Ndiaye.
But given Rogers is close to untouchable for Villa and he and Johnson do not play anywhere near the same position or role on the pitch, selling Johnson to Villa, in particular, would be a very questionable move for Spurs.
Over the last few years, Villa and Spurs have been frequently fighting for European places together, and, right now, Villa are quietly one of the sleeper teams in the Premier League title race after favorites Arsenal.
Johnson joining them could add a different dimension and a goal scoring touch off the right side of the formation that could spell doom for Tottenham, particularly in the future when Spurs aim to truly be competing for top four places again. It is flattering for clubs that are doing better to want Johnson, but Spurs really do have to be careful who they sell to, even if Johnson has not been particularly useful to them recently.