Tottenham Hotspur have been home to some incredibly talented players over the years—individuals capable of turning a game on their own. However, while these stars have often failed to deliver silverware for the club, they’ve consistently commanded hefty transfer fees.
Players like Gareth Bale and Luka Modrić put in exceptional performances for Spurs before making high-profile moves to Real Madrid in the 2010s, with massive transfer fees involved. Similarly, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick moved to Manchester United in the 2000s.
But the most recent major sale for Tottenham was none other than Harry Kane.
Kane’s Spurs Career
Tottenham first signed a young Kane back in 2004, just three years after he was released by arch-rivals Arsenal. Over the next seven years, Kane worked his way through Spurs’ youth ranks before his first loan move to Leyton Orient in January 2011.
Following several more loan spells, Kane made a few first-team appearances in the 2013/14 season and was given an extended run in the 2014/15 season to prove himself. And prove himself he did. In 51 appearances across all competitions that season, Kane scored a remarkable 31 goals and provided five assists, cementing his place as Spurs’ first-choice striker.
By the end of his career at Tottenham, Kane had made 435 appearances, scoring an extraordinary 280 goals and assisting 61 times, averaging a goal contribution every 1.27 games. His incredible output made him one of the most sought-after forwards in world football. After years of speculation, the Spurs legend finally made the move to Bayern Munich, in a transfer that brought Daniel Levy and the club around €100m (£86.4m at the time). This massive fee softened the blow of losing such a pivotal player. While Ange Postecoglou may not have a player of Kane’s caliber in his squad just yet, one of his current players could eventually fetch a similar transfer fee.
Spurs’ Next Big Sale
That player is Brennan Johnson, the in-form Welsh winger. Johnson joined Spurs from Nottingham Forest last summer for around £47.5m, and though his early performances were underwhelming, he finished the season with a respectable tally of five goals and ten assists from 34 appearances. This season, he’s been even more impressive, scoring seven goals in just 15 games—especially notable considering his slower start to the campaign.
His stellar form has drawn comparisons to some of the top wingers in England, including Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli. While Spurs fans may not be thrilled with this comparison, it’s hard to argue with the logic. Both players are known for their ability to run at defenders and create scoring opportunities, whether by shooting or driving into the box. However, Johnson has arguably been more effective this season, with Martinelli contributing just two goals and three assists in as many games.
This comparison stems from data compiled by FBref, which analyzes players in similar positions across Europe’s top leagues and generates a list of the most comparable players. In this case, Martinelli ranks as the second most similar player to Johnson, based on underlying statistics such as shots on target, expected goals plus assists, pass accuracy, dribbles completed, and more, all per 90 minutes.
Though Tottenham fans might not love the comparison, it could bode well for Johnson’s future. According to the CIES Football Observatory, Martinelli is valued at €127m (£107m), and if Johnson continues to perform at his current level—outperforming Martinelli this season—there’s no reason why the Welshman couldn’t eventually reach a similar valuation.
With that in mind, Brennan Johnson could one day follow in Kane’s footsteps as Tottenham’s next big-money sale.
