Tottenham Hotspur transfer news: Thomas Frank explains "tricky" Brennan Johnson situation amid Crystal Palace interest

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank explained that Mohammed Kudus's signing impacted Brennan Johnson's place in the pecking order amid rumours of an imminent transfer to Crystal Palace.

Spurs will be hoping to build momentum by winning a second Premier League game in a row when they face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Thursday.

While the Frank will be focused on matters on the pitch, he has been unable to escape questions regading the future of winger Johnson, who has reportedly been subject of a successful bid from Palace.

Speaking to reporters before his side's Brentford clash, Frank explained that Johnson's playing time may be limited without a transfer away, saying: "Brennan is a very important player for us. Sometimes things change if another player comes in.

"Unfortunately, [Mohammed] Kudus came in for him and played on the right side. So it's been a little bit more tricky to get enough starts. Brennan has been a top professional."

Johnson scored the winning goal in the Europa League final in May 2025, but the situation under Frank has evidently deteriorated quickly.

Why has Thomas Frank chosen Mohammed Kudus over Johnson?

Kudus was signed from West Ham United in the summer for a fee of £55m, and he has scored three goals and provided five assists in 1,802 minutes for the club in all competitions.

It is worrying that the 25-year-old only scored five times for the Hammers in the Premier League last season, and he in fact netted just eight times in the league in 2023-24.

Johnson is 24 and has played in the top flight since 2022-23, and his highest scoring season came in 2024-25 for Tottenham, when he netted 11 league goals.

Neither player is particularly prolific, so perhaps the fact Kudus is a superior athlete has made Frank opt for the former West Ham man.

January transfer window: What do Tottenham Hotspur need?

Spurs have struggled in the final third this season, and they would have needed offensive reinforcements regardless of Johnson's potential exit.

The club have been linked with RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, and having the 19-year-old as Kudus's backup would significantly improve the depth of the squad.

Whether Tottenham would be able to convince the talented youngster to leave Leipzig for a backup role is not yet clear, and he would not solve all of the side's issues anyway.

The return of Dejan Kulusevski from injury could be a significant boost for the Londoners, especially as he is arguably one of the squad's most creative players.