Tottenham pounce for Postecoglou target with big bid coming and shaky star to be ditched in Nottingham Forest swap
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to make their move for Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson and are expected to send one of their own players in the opposite direction.
According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham have taken encouragement that they would be Johnson’s preferred destination this summer, since he believes he would have the best chance of earning regular gametime there.
It means that Tottenham are ahead of the likes of Chelsea, West Ham and Brentford in his list. In turn, they are now trying to convince Forest to sell him.
The asking price is in the region of £50m, but the report claims Tottenham will try to drive it down by including one of their own players in the deal. As things stand, the most likely casualty would be Davinson Sanchez.
Sanchez has not exactly been the most reliable defender Tottenham have ever had, so they would be willing to move him on after wrapping up the signing of Micky van de Ven.
Reports have also suggested Sanchez could be a target for Monaco, although Forest have been linked too, which Tottenham seem well aware of.
Now, it could work to Spurs’ advantage in their quest to sign Johnson. The 22-year-old has been identified as an ideal target to contribute across the attacking areas in Ange Postecoglou’s system.
Johnson to help evolving Tottenham attack
Harry Kane leaving for Bayern Munich has opened up a huge void in the Tottenham frontline that will be hard to fill. After Johnson scored eight goals in his debut Premier League season, though – featuring either as a winger or more centrally – the signs are promising in terms of how the Wales international could develop further.
One thing that is not yet clear is how much money Tottenham are willing to put on the table for Johnson and how much they think Sanchez – or anyone else, depending on whose wages Forest can afford – would be worth as a counterpart.
Johnson is still under contract at the City Ground until 2026 and has 107 appearances for his current club to his name so far. During that time, he has scored 29 goals – 16 of which came in the Championship campaign that culminated in their promotion to the Premier League in 2022.
After adapting well with every step up in his career – indeed, the season Forest won promotion was his first back at the club after a loan spell in League One with Lincoln City – Johnson might be backing himself to make an impact at a club like Tottenham.
No European football is on offer at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, but the club are accustomed to finishing in the top half of the Premier League at the very least.
With a few signings in the mould of Johnson, they would be aiming to get back to where they feel they belong.
READ MORE:
‘FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND’: JOURNALIST SHEDS LIGHT ON WHY ARTETA LET 29-YEAR-OLD LEAVE ARSENAL
Arsenal sold Matt Turner to Nottingham Forest and replaced him with David Raya because the goalkeeper was not pushing Aaron Ramsdale enough.
That is according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.
Arsenal recently signed David Raya and allowed Matt Turner to join Forest and speaking to GiveMeSport about Mikel Arteta’s thought process, Taylor said: “From what I understand, from the conversations I’ve had, I think the signing is more about the fact Turner wasn’t pushing Ramsdale enough, as opposed to the fact Arteta doesn’t rate Ramsdale.”
While Raya may prove to be a tougher rival than Turner for Ramsdale, the 25-year-old still appears to be Arsenal’s No.1 for the time being.
It was Ramsdale who got the nod to start in Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Crystal Palace on Monday and he will be hoping to retain his place for the Gunners’ next match versus Fulham at the Emirates.
David Raya a clear upgrade on Matt Turner
Raya was one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League last season. His save percentage of 77.7% was actually the highest in the division (FBref).
Turner has not had too many opportunities to prove himself but, on the surface, Raya looks like the superior shot-stopper.
Ultimately, with Arteta wanting a new goalkeeper, you can understand why he identified the Spain international as the man he was keen to bring in.
From Raya’s perspective, you can argue that his move to the Emirates does not make as much sense. There are obviously no guarantees that he is going to be a starter.
Proving to be one of the best No.1s in the top flight during the 2022/23 season, Raya is an improvement on Turner. But the man he has to oust is Ramsdale, which is a different kind of fight.
As for Forest’s new 29-year-old goalkeeper, he will just be hoping that he can get some game time in the Premier League and show everyone what he can do.
