Report: Aston Villa make first move to sign Tottenham Hotspur star in January | OneFootball

Villa flex ambition as January market tension rises

Aston Villa’s season has quietly crossed into something louder, something more assertive. This is no longer a campaign defined by steady accumulation or clever marginal gains. It is beginning to look like a statement of intent, and the latest transfer development reported by TeamTalk fits that emerging identity. Villa have made contact with the representatives of Brennan Johnson, potentially derailing Crystal Palace’s plans and reframing what had seemed a straightforward January move.

Johnson’s situation at Tottenham has become increasingly paradoxical. Last season delivered productivity and decisive moments, including 18 goals across all competitions in 2024/25 and a defining winner in the Europa League final against Manchester United. This season, under Thomas Frank, his role has shrunk to six Premier League starts. The market logic follows naturally. Tottenham are open to a January exit, permanent or loan, with a £30m to £40m valuation considered workable as Spurs reshape their squad.

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For Palace, the groundwork looked solid. Staying in London appealed to the player, regular minutes mattered with the 2026 World Cup looming for Wales, and personal terms were believed to be within reach. Yet Villa’s intervention has introduced uncertainty, and with it, leverage.

Villa ambition reshapes January priorities

Villa’s interest is not opportunistic, it is strategic. Unai Emery’s side sit third after a 2-1 win over Manchester United, seven consecutive league victories, ten across all competitions, and a credible position in the title race. That context matters. Clubs chasing survival gamble in January. Clubs chasing ceilings invest.

Sources cited by TeamTalk suggest Villa see Johnson as a way to inject pace, flexibility and vertical threat into the frontline. The timing aligns with uncertainty around Harvey Elliot’s loan from Liverpool, which is likely to be cut short after he failed to earn Emery’s trust. Johnson, by contrast, represents proven Premier League output and tactical elasticity, a winger comfortable attacking space or operating between lines.

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This is where Villa’s project becomes compelling. Emery has built control first, structure next, and now seeks to layer unpredictability on top. Johnson fits that arc. Not as a marquee disruption, but as an accelerant to what already works.

Tottenham stance opens door for Villa move

Tottenham’s position is pragmatic rather than forceful. Signed for £47.5m from Nottingham Forest in 2023, Johnson remains a useful squad option, and Frank would prefer depth. Yet limited minutes have alerted other Premier League clubs, including West Ham, and Spurs are not opposed to a sale if it supports wider attacking reinforcements.

Photo: IMAGO

That openness gives Villa room to manoeuvre. Unlike Palace, who must convince Johnson that the move represents progress, Villa can point to momentum, league position and European ambition. Palace’s advanced interest gives them an edge procedurally, but not necessarily emotionally or competitively.

As January approaches, this is less about hijacking for the sake of it and more about what Villa believe they can become. This is a club acting like it belongs at the table, not waiting to be invited.

January window reflects Villa evolution

Transfer sagas often reveal more about the suitor than the target. Villa’s willingness to engage, to disrupt a London centric move, underlines how far the club has travelled under Emery. This is not reckless ambition. It is calibrated belief.

Whether Villa land Johnson or not, the signal is already sent. This is a club no longer content with progress alone.

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For years, January windows were about patching holes or reacting to problems. Now it feels proactive. That is the most encouraging part for Villa supporters. Villa are not chasing Brennan Johnson because someone else wants him, they are chasing him because he fits what Emery is building.

The league position changes everything. Sitting third, beating Manchester United 2-1, winning week after week, this is the moment to be bold. Johnson brings Premier League pedigree, pace that scares defenders, and end product that can decide tight games. Those are the margins that separate fourth from first.

There is also confidence in Emery’s system. If Harvey Elliot could not earn trust, that tells you standards are high. Johnson would arrive knowing he has to earn his place, but also knowing the platform is there to shine. Palace might offer minutes, but Villa offer meaning.

Even if the deal does not happen, Villa fans can take heart. This is what ambition looks like. This is what a club believing in itself sounds like. And that, more than any single signing, is why this season feels different.