Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to a whole host of top talents this window, but they could be set to take the biggest gamble of them all in order to secure a sparkling future…
Is Brennan Johnson staying at Nottingham Forest?
Whilst their pursuit of Harvey Barnes was well-documented, with the Lilywhites even reportedly submitting a joint bid for both him and James Maddison, in the end it was only the latter who ended up joining the north London outfit.
Ange Postecoglou was forced to miss out on the wide man, who instead joined Newcastle United in a move totalling £39m. This marked a hefty sum for the 25-year-old, but one Spurs could blow out the water should alternative reports be true.
Whilst it was only suggested late last month, those at N17 likely remain interested in signing Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest, even if the Tricky Trees value him at an astronomical £50m fee.
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Although far less experienced at the top level than their earlier target, his ceiling remains so high, whilst he boasts all the physical assets to be a real star for Spurs.
How many goals has Brennan Johnson scored for Nottingham Forest?
As the Garibaldi geared up for their first top-flight campaign since 1998, many likely assumed they would struggle despite their vast incomings.
They spent over £168m and brought in 29 players across both the summer and winter windows last year, and yet somehow Steve Cooper managed to forge a functioning team out of all the egos to keep them in the division.
However, arguably the most impressive feat throughout it all was that young Johnson retained his starting spot, despite players like Emmanuel Dennis, Andre Ayew, Taiwo Awoyini and Morgan Gibbs-White all joining in positions similar to his.
In fact, the 22-year-old featured in every single one of their league games, scoring eight and assisting a further three as a second striker or off the right flank. This brought his tally for the club up to 29, having assisted 12.
This marked an outstanding return given the turmoil that surrounded the club throughout the campaign, which journalist Antonio Mango had expected, praising him the year prior as a "real handful".
Whilst these were figures surpassed by Barnes, who instead scored 13 and assisted only once in the league, he has spent far longer in the top flight than his potential alternative. Also, it is perhaps worth mentioning that the 25-year-old did still succumb to the drop, with his goals not enough to save his side.
Conversely, Johnson arguably fired his team to safety, with his brace against Everton and Leicester City, and the only goal in their win over Leeds United seeing them take valuable points from relegation rivals.
Despite that, FBref still references the former Foxes star on the Wales international's 'similar players' list, to emphasise their similarities. The fact that they recorded a 15% and 18% goal conversion rate respectively helps to further outline their shared clinical nature from the flank too.
Already clearly a big-game player despite his youth, and with a vital year of experience at the elite level under his belt, perhaps now is the perfect time for Postecoglou to take him under his wing and mould him in his image.