Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has publicly backed the club's decision to sell forward Brennan Johnson, despite seeing his side's attacking options diminish during a frustrating 1-1 Premier League draw with Sunderland at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Sale Questioned After Attacking Bluntness
The match, played on Sunday 4th January 2026, came just days after Spurs sanctioned the sale of last season's 18-goal striker Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace. The deal, worth a reported £35 million, represented a significant loss on the £47.5 million the North London club paid for him in 2023.
Frank's defence of the transfer was immediately put under the microscope when his first-choice right winger, Mohammed Kudus, was forced off with a left leg injury after just 19 minutes. Although defender Ben Davies put Spurs ahead on the half-hour mark, the team lacked a cutting edge and conceded a late equaliser to Brian Brobbey with ten minutes remaining.
Frank's Full Explanation on Johnson Exit
In his post-match press conference, Frank faced a barrage of questions regarding the timing of Johnson's departure. He emphasised that the decision was made prior to Kudus's injury and was part of a broader strategic view.
"Decisions are made and decisions I’m backing in every aspect," Frank stated. "There’s always more bigger picture stuff to some of those decisions. Sometimes it can look like perfect timing. Sometimes it looks like not so perfect timing."
He pointed out that the club had an opportunity to sell a player, an area where he suggested Tottenham "hasn’t been that good at in the past," and that such windows can be small. Frank admitted the squad looked light for this particular game but insisted that with Kudus and the currently absent Xavi Simons fit, they would have sufficient cover.
Reinforcements Sought After Stalemate
Acknowledging the immediate shortfall, the Danish manager confirmed the club is actively looking to strengthen. "We are really, how can you say, alert. The club really want to see what we can do to strengthen the squad and the team," he revealed.
Opposite number Regis Le Bris conceded his Sunderland side were fortunate to leave London with a point after a subpar first-half display. "Probably we are a bit lucky because in a Premier League game, when you don’t play at your best, you should be punished and it wasn’t the case," he said, praising his team's character to fight back.
The result leaves questions over Tottenham's attacking depth for the coming weeks, placing increased scrutiny on the club's activity in the January transfer window following the sale of a proven goalscorer.
