Evangelos Marinakis comments on Brennan Johnson joining Tottenham this summer

Add as preferred source on Google

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has paid tribute to Brennan Johnson following his move to Tottenham Hotspur, labelling the youngster the ultimate professional.

Marinakis was speaking in an open letter to fans on the Nottingham Forest official website following the closure of the summer transfer window.

Of course, Brennan Johnson was one of the big movers on deadline day. The Wales international joined Spurs in a £45 million move in the final hours of the window. As reported by BBC Sport, the 22-year-old has signed a six-year deal in North London.

It is a deal Forest fans were seemingly prepared for for much of the summer. Forest have been incredibly busy in the market since sealing promotion. And Johnson has brought in a sizeable fee by moving on.

Marinakis pays tribute to Johnson after Tottenham move

It certainly appears that Johnson’s move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is one which suits all parties. And following the move, Marinakis lauded the youngster within his open letter to supporters.

“Of course, as new players join our family, others move on,” he wrote on the club’s website. “We wish them success in their future playing careers away from Nottingham, but none more so than Brennan Johnson.  Brennan epitomises all that is great about football.  A young boy playing for his local team, fulfilling his dreams and growing not just as a footballer, but as a human being.  

“He is the ultimate young professional and his contributions to the club he loves have been enormous – helping us achieve promotion back to the Premier League and instrumental in helping us retain that status on the final home game of last season.  In moving to Tottenham Hotspur he has also provided his boyhood club with the financial means to reinvest and continue to grow.  We thank him for being part of our family and giving so much of himself to us.  Go well, Brennan, be strong and healthy and we wish you every success.”

Obviously, Tottenham fans will take encouragement from Marinakis’ comments about the forward. It does appear to be something of a gamble to make this move for Spurs given that some will feel that they needed a natural striker.

But Johnson is someone who scored eight goals in his first season in the Premier League. And he is only going to get better from here.

It will be very interesting to see what sort of role he plays in Ange Postecoglou’s side. Certainly, Son Heung-min’s performance at the weekend hints that he may now be the first-choice for the striker role.

But those positions behind him look to be up for grabs if someone comes in and does something special.

Clearly, Johnson has the potential to do exactly that.