Spurs have clear path to £50m transfer as Chelsea backtrack after summer spend

24 August 2023 , 13:14

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Spurs have clear path to £50m transfer as Chelsea backtrack after summer spend

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has faced a challenging start to life in north London with the departure of the club's record goalscorer Harry Kane.

The timing of Kane's transfer to Bayern Munich on the opening day of the Premier League season has left Spurs without a focal point in attack. While Kane has seamlessly transitioned to his new club, scoring on his Bundesliga debut, Spurs are now heavily reliant on Brazilian international Richarlison to fill the void.

But it is evident that they need additional attacking options before the summer transfer window closes. Richarlison has scored just once in the Premier League for Spurs since his £60million arrival from Everton last year.

Despite the setback of losing Kane, Postecoglou has managed to keep the team competitive. A 2-2 draw against Brentford and a 2-0 win over Manchester United have silenced some doubters and generated excitement about what might be achieved under the Australian.

Now, reports via football.london suggest Spurs are leading the race to sign Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson, providing much-needed firepower to their attacking ranks. London rivals Chelsea were interested in Johnson but are reportedly withdrawing from negotiations due to cost concerns.

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The Blues have already spent an astonishing £328million this summer. That includes £32m on striker Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal while Christopher Nkunku cost £60m, but the former RB Leipzig forward is injured.

With Chelsea out of the picture, Spurs have a clear path to secure a deal for talented Wales international Johnson. The 22-year-old impressed last season, scoring 10 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions for Forest including eight goals in the Premier League.

Brennan Johnson scored eight Premier League goals last season (Getty Images)

The £50m-rated Johnson's potential and versatility make him an attractive prospect for Spurs as they attempt to soften the impact of Kane's departure. Speaking ahead of the win against United, Postecoglou said: "There's still areas we can strengthen in all our lines: defensively, midfield, up front.

"Again, that's not just bringing players in for the sake of it. They have to fit the profile we're looking at. We've purposefully gone a bit younger because we want to build a team here. It's not about putting the finishing touches on something, we're building something here. So that's the mind of profiles we're looking at."

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Oliver Jones