Paul Robinson: ‘Big money’ Brennan Johnson will not threaten Tottenham starting lineup
We’re delighted to welcome former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as our exclusive columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…
Tottenham target Brennan Johnson is unlikely to challenge Ange Postecoglou’s starting lineup despite a reported expensive move for the Nottingham Forest ace, according to Paul Robinson.
Fabrizio Romano claimed (28 August) that Spurs were set to approach Forest for the 22-year-old, with The Sun reporting (24 August) that the Welshman could cost up to £50million.
Johnson impressed in his debut season in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest and was key in ensuring survival in their first top-flight season in 23 years. He chipped in with 10 goals in all competitions, which has seemingly been enough to convince the Spurs hierarchy that he should be a top target this summer.
Spurs have not recruited too heavily in attacking positions, with James Maddison’s addition more a move to add creativity not as an out-and-out forward, while Manor Solomon looks more of a squad signing.
The signing of Johnson would provide competition for the likes of Son Heung-min, Richarlison, and Dejan Kulusevski and Robinson believes he will add a versatile option to Tottenham’s front line.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Robinson said: “It’s big money to spend on a player of that ilk. Johnson has proven that he can do it at the top level and that he can score goals.
“Tottenham has a lot of quality in that final third, but Johnson does give you an option. He can play wide, he can play as a 10 and he can play as a nine.”
However, with just one top-flight season under his belt, some pundits have questioned whether he is worth such a significant outlay.
Robinson also does not think Johnson is ready to be an immediate starter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to the wealth of options available to Postecoglou.
“Whether he plays as a nine, we’ll see”, Robinson said. “But I don’t really see him as a nine as a direct replacement for Richarlison.
“You look at other areas in the team, you look at James Maddison, you look at Dejan Kulusevski. Would he get into that starting 11 ahead of them?
“At the moment, no, but it’s a squad game. They’ve got no European football this year as we know, so the size of the squad, it’s not overly important unless you’re getting a lot of injuries, suspensions, et cetera.
“But I wouldn’t say he is a direct replacement for anyone. If I was Richarlison, I wouldn’t be overly worried about him coming in because I know that I would get an opportunity.
“He is an exciting young boy who would be a great addition to the club, but I just don’t see where he goes into that side and he won’t start immediately.”
In other Tottenham news, Postecoglou must help key Spurs player with the ‘weight of expectation following a poor debut season.