By David Williams
Brennan Johnson has completed his move to Tottenham from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £47.5million.
Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou made the Wales international his number one target following the departure of Harry Kane last month and secured the services of the young attacker late on transfer deadline day.
Johnson has signed a deal at Tottenham until the summer of 2029 after bringing his lengthy association at Forest to an end.
Versatile forward Johnson made his Forest debut in 2019, following in the footsteps of father David, and went on to make 108 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 29 goals.
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Ex-Lincoln loanee Johnson became a key figure following Steve Cooper’s arrival at the City Ground and was prominent in the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2022 before he scored eight times last season to guide them to top flight survival.
While Johnson signed a four-year deal at Forest last summer, he has been prized away for a fee worth £47.5m with a 10 per cent sell-on clause included in the transfer.
Forest did turn down two bids from Brentford for Johnson – who can play anywhere across the front three – earlier in the window, but this sale will help satisfy their Financial Fair Play requirements.
Johnson’s arrival concludes a busy summer of incomings for Tottenham under new head coach Postecoglou, who has taken on a lead role on transfers in the absence of a director of football.
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The Australian revealed on Friday that Spurs were close to finding a replacement for Fabio Paratici, who resigned from the role in April.
“If you look at the way the club’s worked previously, that’s always been in place,” Postecoglou said of a director of football.
“When you’re doing something and there’s already a process in place, then you know how it’s going to work.
“Where there’s a new manager and no sporting director, I think anyone would say it’s unusual.
“Yeah, I think it will (be resolved soon). That’s definitely the club’s plan. It’s fair to say that going into the window, there was no point in rushing that appointment, particularly with a new manager in.
“The thinking behind it was that probably the best way to charter this unusual process is to have less involvement with new people as possible. So far, the evidence, when you see the players we’ve brought in, I think we’ve navigated it pretty well.
“I’m not going to appoint the person, I’m certainly not going to get involved in that process.
“The club have already got a clear idea of the way I work and the way I think and the way I want my teams to play. Whoever that person is, it’s my role then to get him to understand me and see the game through my eyes.
“I’ve never felt encumbered with whoever I work with. I usually get my way with whoever I work with. I don’t have total control. I have control of one side of it.
“I wouldn’t see the sense in bringing a player in I didn’t think would fit. I don’t care who was putting him forward or giving him to me, because I think ultimately whatever happens I’m going to take responsibility.
“I like working with a sporting director because they do most of the leg work that I just don’t have the time to do.
“When you’ve got a good sporting director, you work together. They see the game through your eyes.”
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Johnson’s arrival was Tottenham’s only incoming on transfer deadline day after proposed moves for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and Lloyd Kelly of Bournemouth collapsed.
Spurs had to trim their squad before they could sanction any more incomings and even though defenders Japhet Tanganga and Sergio Reguilon left on loan to join Augsburg and Manchester United respectively, Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez were unable to secure transfers away.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also turned down an approach from Fulham and further talks with Atletico Madrid collapsed, while Tanguy Ndombele and Bryan Gil remained at Tottenham.
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