The Athletic have disclosed that Atletico Madrid was unsuccessful in their attempt to acquire Brennan Johnson during the summer of 2017, prior to Tottenham’s acquisition of the winger from Nottingham Forest through a transfer.
As a result of Forest being judged to have violated the profit and sustainability regulations and being given a four-point deduction, the topic of Johnson’s deadline-day move to Spurs for £47.5 million last summer has been making headlines.
According to a report that was published earlier this week in The Mirror, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team was dissatisfied with the fact that the transfer money that they received from Tottenham for Johnson was not taken into consideration. The Premier League had set a deadline of June 30, before which they would compute their financial performance.
The Premier League’s independent commission, which conducted an investigation into the incident, came to the conclusion that Forest turned down three offers from Brentford for Johnson during the summer of last year. The offers were worth £32.5 million, £35 million, and £40 million, respectively. Tottenham ultimately decided to sign the winger.
The unsuccessful attempt by Atletico Madrid to acquire Brennan Johnson
It has now been disclosed by The Athletic that Atletico Madrid had also been unsuccessful in their attempt to acquire the Wales international during the summer of 2017.
The report adds that Diego Simeone’s men submitted a bid of £42.9 million for Johnson, but Forest turned it down and requested that the La Liga side pay £55.8 million.
The publication also states that the Midlands club made an offer to other clubs, including Manchester United, for the 22-year-old player; however, the Red Devils did not show any interest in the player at the time.
Spurs Web Opinion
It is hardly surprising that Simeone coveted Johnson, given how well-rounded the Tottenham winger is and the defensive effort that he constantly delivers out of possession. The 22-year-old would have surely been a perfect match for Atletico’s system.