Oliver Glasner credited Crystal Palace’s hierarchy for completing the signing of Brennan Johnson from Tottenham for a club record £35m on the second day of the transfer window.
The Wales forward has a four-and-a-half-year deal and is expected to be part of Palace’s squad that will face Newcastle on Sunday. Glasner has made no secret of his desire to bolster the FA Cup winners after a demanding debut campaign in Europe and has criticised Palace’s lack of preparedness in previous transfer windows. However, the Austrian manager said he was delighted with the signing of the 24-year-old after Palace saw off competition from Bournemouth.
“He arrives very early in the window, so credit to the club for making this happen so quickly,” said Glasner. “Brennan will give us options in our attacking play with his pace and goalscoring ability and with all the upcoming games he will be a valuable addition to the squad.”
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Palace have been tracking the former Nottingham Forest forward for some time and agreed a deal with Spurs on Tuesday that surpasses the fee paid to buy Christian Benteke from Liverpool in August 2016. It is understood Johnson, who has struggled for game time at Tottenham under Thomas Frank this season and started only six times in the Premier League, was keen to stay in London.
Johnson, who scored the goal that won Spurs the Europa League last May, said: “Crystal Palace are such a great club, one that I’ve always admired. It’s a great time for me to be here and join the journey that this club is on – I’m super-excited.”
His departure means Spurs have sold their leading scorers from the past three seasons, Johnson following Son Heung-min and Harry Kane in leaving. Tottenham are expected to bring in a replacement in January, with Manchester City’s Savinho and Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig believed to be among their targets.
Palace hope to strengthen their squad further and have held talks with Angers over the 19-year-old forward Sidiki Chérif, although they face stiff competition from Paris FC. Glasner would also like more cover at right-back despite Daniel Muñoz getting closer to his return from a knee injury and Genk’s Zakaria El Ouahdi and Vanderson of Monaco have been linked. Palace are also in the market for midfield reinforcements and have targeted an ambitious move for Kees Smit of AZ, who is wanted by Newcastle and Real Madrid.
Brighton have confirmed the return of their former captain Pascal Gross on a contract until the end of next season after the 34-year-old left to join Borussia Dortmund in August 2024. “He’s a fantastic player and someone I know well and was looking forward to working with when I first came to the club,” said the head coach, Fabian Hürzeler. “Brighton fans know his attributes, but he brings great leadership qualities to the group. Those qualities, along with his experience and ability, will be a huge asset.”
