There will be plenty of changes at Crystal Palace this summer, including Oliver Glasner leaving the club. The Austrian coach is departing Selhurst Park at the end of his contract in June.
Glasner’s short-term future is in doubt amid the Eagles’ poor form this season. A 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday helped alleviate the pressure on the 51-year-old.
One of Glasner’s biggest frustrations during his time in charge has been the recruitment process. He feels the club have shown a lack of ambition and failed to replace the top players sold in recent transfer windows.
Doubts over Johnson’s future
Eberechi Eze left for Arsenal last summer, and the English attacker’s creativity has been missed. Palace turned to Brennan Johnson in January to try to bolster Glasner’s attacking options.
Johnson arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in a £35 million deal. Some questioned the move given the Welshman’s lack of form in the back end of his spell in North London.
The 24-year-old has failed to live up to expectations since making the move to Selhurst Park. He’s without a goal or an assist in 10 games for the Eagles.
According to Football Insider, Johnson could push for an early exit just months after becoming the second most expensive signing in the club’s history. His future is already uncertain amid his struggles with the South Londoners.
Johnson’s thoughts on a possible departure this summer stem from speculation about a potential replacement for Glasner. It’s thought that Palace have his former Spurs boss Thomas Frank on their managerial shortlist.
The Danish coach is available after he was sacked by Spurs in January. He rarely put his faith in Johnson and greenlit his sale.
Johnson started 10 of 22 games under Frank this season, posting four goals while picking up a red card. He fell out of favour under the Dane following a more prominent role in Ange Postecoglou’s team that won the Europa League last season.
Frank on Johnson sale
Tottenham’s decision to sell Johnson was contentious, given the club’s injury crisis. The likes of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus were all sidelined.
Frank explained why the Lilywhites were prepared to part with the Welsh attacker. He told reporters last month (via football.london):
“There are a lot of moving parts in every decision, in terms of when you sell a player or when you buy a player. You can say if you play 3-4-3, we have right now five available players for the front three, which is a decent number.”
Johnson spent two years with Spurs after joining the North London club from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m in January 2024. He made 107 appearances, scoring 27 goals and providing 18 assists.
Frank took over the Lilywhites last summer following Postecoglou’s sacking. He lasted just under eight months in the job before he was dismissed with his side dragged into the relegation battle.
Johnson has stuttered at the start of his Palace spell, and concerns over a Frank appointment aren’t a good sign. He should have the mentality to try and prove his worth, whether that be under his former manager or another Glasner successor.
