Brennan Johnson could be set for a departure from Tottenham Hotspur in 2026, with sources telling TEAMtalk that the forward has failed to fully convince the staff at the north London club.
Johnson joined Tottenham from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023 for £47.5million (€54.3m, $63.7m). The Wales international forward has made 104 appearances for the north London club since, scoring 27 goals and giving 18 assists in the process.
Sources acknowledge that Johnson has yet to fully convince the current Tottenham staff that he can cement a regular starting role – particularly once the squad is further strengthened across the next two transfer windows.
Tottenham will face a significant decision over Johnson’s long-term future by the end of the season.
With the 24-year-old contract running until 2028, the summer of 2026 is viewed internally as a pivotal moment when Tottenham begin to consider his next deal or cashing in.
The Welshman opened the 2025/25 campaign brightly with two goals in his first two matches, but he has since gone quiet in the Premier League, registering no further goals or assists in the division.
Tottenham expect no difficulty attracting interest should Johnson become available, but the winger will be eager to make his case to stay.
Spurs are actively assessing the market ahead of January and could yet bring in fresh competition for his position.
Get the inside story first by joining our TEAMtalk Facebook channel to receive the latest breaking and exclusive news straight into your Messenger inbox.
What’s the latest on Tottenham’s striker search?
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s wait for Dominic Solanke to return is sparking fresh intrigue over their push for a new forward in January.
Solanke has been sidelined for most of the season and was pulled from their Champions League squad ahead of Tuesday’s game against Slavia Prague, with Mathys Tel replacing him.
The 28-year-old’s ankle problem continues to raise eyebrows, with the extent of his situation still not fully revealed – and there are concerns about how many more games he will miss this season.
As the wait goes on, Tottenham’s considerations around a striker will ramp up.
We understand that hopes of signing Harry Kane in the summer of 2026 are fading, as the England international prepares to sign an extension with Bayern Munich instead, a stance that my TEAMtalk colleague, Graeme Bailey, has also reported.
Tottenham have been linked with Ivan Toney, but sources insist they had already decided against a move for him before he hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The 29-year-old England international striker was arrested after an alleged headbutt at a bar in London on Saturday and subsequently released on bail, as reported by The Sun.
The flashpoint comes at a time when he has been linked with a return to English football from Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli.
We have previously reported that a move back was starting to look unlikely in January, but Spurs are one of the clubs that have been interested.
Sources say there was a consideration about whether Toney, who previously played under Frank at Brentford, could boost their season.
Graeme Bailey has reported that Frank is open to working with Toney at Tottenham, but Spurs insiders insist that the potential of a link-up this season was fleeting.
Tottenham’s recruitment team have spent the past few weeks drawing up their transfer plans for the New Year, and it is believed that striker options are included – even though the expectation is that a more versatile player will be targeted who can play across wide positions.
There has been hope that Solanke will get back to match fitness by February.
In the meantime, Richarlison has been leading the line while Spurs also have Randal Kolo Muani and Tel as options to use through the middle.
Spurs are still open to the idea of trying to sign Kolo Muani permanently at the end of the season.
Outside of that, they currently have the creativity of Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson to consider, too.
Latest Tottenham transfer news: Real Madrid roadblock, Arsenal preference
Meanwhile, sources have told TEAMtalk the problem that Real Madrid face in their quest to sign Micky Van de Ven from Tottenham Hotspur.
A report has revealed that a top winger would prefer to join Arsenal to a move to Tottenham in the January transfer window.