Crystal Palace have received a significant boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Newcastle United this weekend, with new signing Brennan Johnson confirmed as eligible to make his debut.
Deadline Day Drama Concludes Successfully
The £35million move from Tottenham Hotspur was finalised in time for the Welsh international to be registered by the critical 12pm Friday deadline. The club officially unveiled the winger as their player later that same afternoon, securing his availability for the trip to St. James' Park on Sunday.
Johnson expressed his delight at joining the Eagles, stating he was "really excited and really happy" to be at a club he has "always admired." He added, "It's a great time for me to be here and join the journey that this club is on – I'm super excited."
A Record Signing for the Eagles
This transfer represents a new club-record fee for Crystal Palace, surpassing the £27m paid to Liverpool for Christian Benteke ten years ago. The deal marks a surprising turn of events for the 24-year-old, who was Tottenham's top scorer last season with 18 goals, including the winner in the Europa League final against Manchester United.
Despite being a £47.5m signing for former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou and scoring in Thomas Frank's first two league games in charge, Johnson quickly fell out of favour at the North London club, even as the team struggled for goals.
Palace Win the Race for Signature
The January transfer window saw several Premier League sides express interest in Johnson. Bournemouth, who needed to replace Manchester City-bound Antoine Semenyo, were notably keen. However, it was Palace who moved swiftly to agree a deal with Tottenham.
Manager Oliver Glasner then personally convinced the forward to make the move to South London during talks on New Year's Day, beating out competition to secure his signature.
All paperwork was completed ahead of the registration cut-off, meaning Brennan Johnson could immediately step into the squad as Crystal Palace seek to improve their league position, starting with a challenging fixture against Newcastle.
