Tottenham Hotspur are being tipped to offload a 27-goal forward in order to part-fund a record-breaking swoop for much sought-after Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, in a move that makes sense on so many levels for Thomas Frank.
The north London club are firmly in the mix to snap up Semenyo in the January transfer window, despite concrete interest from Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool in the supremely talented Ghana international.
Indeed, TEAMtalk insider Fraser Fletcher revealed on Friday that Tottenham intend to smash their wage structure for Semenyo in a huge statement of intent.
The 25-year-old has a £65million release clause in his contract that runs until 2030, although that clause is only active early in the January window and drops again in the summer.
Despite a £100m cash injection from majority owners ENIC ahead of the winter window, Spurs are still looking at adding other talent to Frank’s squad alongside Semenyo, with a willingness to sell first-team talent also on the cards.
And that’s where the immediate future of Brennan Johnson comes into play, with the Wales international struggling for regular game time, despite being the club’s top scorer last season.
Our transfer insider, Dean Jones, recently revealed why Johnson could be shown the door in 2026, and now a fresh report has revealed a potential escape route for the winger that should also secure Spurs significant funds to put towards their Semenyo swoop.
According to Sky Sports News, Crystal Palace have taken an interest in signing Johnson as they scope out replacements for the Africa Cup of Nations-bound Ismaila Sarr.
Johnson has made just six starts in the Premier League this season, scoring four goals in 19 appearances in all competitions. However, he remains firmly behind Mohammed Kudus when it comes to his favoured right-wing position and is nowhere near as effective on the left flank.
To that end, if Palace’s interest is genuine, parting company with Johnson in the winter window ticks a number of boxes.
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Johnson not good enough to be a regular Tottenham starter
The former Nottingham Forest attacker excelled in what was largely a disastrous 2024/25 campaign for Tottenham, bar their Europa League triumph under Ange Postecoglou.
Frank, however, is looking to build a dynamic attack that includes his wide players chalking up impressive stats, while also delivering consistent performances week in, week out – something Johnson has largely struggled to do.
Kudus remains a work in progress in the stats department but has shown so much more than Johnson when it comes to his ability to create for others, while having Semenyo on the opposite flank would give Frank an explosive frontline – assuming, of course, that the Dane can find a No.9 who can consistently deliver goals as well.
While moving on from Johnson, who has scored 27 goals and has 18 assists in 104 appearances for Tottenham across all competitions, might seem harsh to some, it’s the right call for the club’s progression under Frank.
Semenyo chalked up six goals and three assists in his first seven games of the Premier League season, although he has failed to directly contribute to a goal in any of his last seven top-flight matches.
Some of that will likely be down to the ongoing speculation surrounding his future, but that talent is clearly there as Tottenham look to secure what will likely be one of the signings of the January window.
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