Rob Page insists Wales can reach Euro 2024 by drawing on their successful World Cup play-off history.

Wales were consigned to the Euro play-offs in March after a controversial 1-1 draw with Turkey in Cardiff.

Neco Williams’ early strike was cancelled out by Yusuf Yazici’s second-half penalty – with Page suggesting Wales would have won with another referee – as the Dragons fell short in their bid to overtake Croatia for the second automatic qualifying place behind group winners Turkey.

Croatia secured automatic qualification with a 1-0 home victory over Armenia, leaving Wales in the play-offs with a home semi-final against either Finland, Iceland or Ukraine. Poland and Estonia will contest the other semi-final.

The identity of Wales’ opponents will be determined by a draw on Thursday – and boss Page hopes play-off history will repeat itself as Austria and Ukraine were beaten in Cardiff en route to reaching the 2022 World Cup.

“We will throw everything into the preparation for the play-offs now,” said Page, who will attend the draw at Nyon in Switzerland.

“I’m pleased it’s a home draw. What our supporters do is incredible and this place is a fortress. We never disappoint and the crowd never disappoints – Croatia, Turkey, the Austria and Ukraine games.

“The lads who were in the play-offs have had those experiences.

“They managed the emotions of the Ukraine game for obvious reasons and that will stand them in good stead for these games.

“We’ve had some big nights here and we go into the play-offs with confidence.”

Wales had three penalty appeals turned down in a nine-minute spell midway through the first half.

Harry Wilson went down in a tangle of legs with with Abdulkerim Bardakci before Brennan Johnson was floored by a sliding Samet Akaydin tackle when the defender did not make contact with the ball.

Akaydin then flattened Johnson from behind in a crowded goalmouth, but neither Slovenian referee Matej Jug nor VAR came to the conclusion it was a penalty.

To add insult to injury, Jug decided Ben Davies had pushed Kenan Yildiz over and awarded a dubious 70th-minute penalty.

Asked if Wales would have won with another referee, Page replied: “I have to be careful what I say. But I believe so, if I’m being completely honest.

“It’s a stonewall penalty, one of the most obvious penalties I’ve seen, against Brennan. The defender’s got the wrong side of him, he runs into him and takes him out.

“Then we’ve conceded the softest penalty you’ll ever concede. It’s so frustrating. The VAR check was over after 10 seconds.

“I can’t get my head around it, I can’t really understand how they’ve come to that decision.”

Wales will return to action in March on the back of an unbeaten six-game run, stitched together after back-to-back June defeats to Armenia and Turkey that ultimately cost them dear.

But Page was delighted by his side’s performance following a tepid display in drawing 1-1 away to Armenia on Saturday.

He said: “I think you saw from the first minute we were at them. I challenged JJ (Jordan James) and Ethan (Ampadu) to be a little more creative on the ball.

“I thought both of them stepped up to the plate – and then some. JJ went to another level and from the first minute there was no thought of ‘we’ve got the play-offs’.

“We weren’t taking our foot off the gas. We were going for the win.

“If we can recreate the performance we had against Croatia, home and away, and Turkey – even out there before we went down to 10 men – then we will be OK.”

Brennan Johnson is benefiting from the “extreme” demands placed on him by Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou and proving himself to be an elite player, says his Wales manager Rob Page.

Johnson has taken time to settle at Spurs following his £47.5million move from Nottingham Forest during the closing minutes of the summer transfer window.

The 22-year-old forward has yet to score and suffered a hamstring injury on his first Premier League start for Tottenham, ruling him out of action for a month.

Johnson’s second Premier League start against Chelsea on Monday also ended prematurely when he was sacrificed after Spurs were reduced to 10 men by defender Cristian Romero’s red card.

But Johnson has shown signs of promise in North London with a superb assist for Son Heung-min’s winner at Crystal Palace, while he also set up the Spurs skipper for a disallowed effort against Chelsea before his first-half withdrawal.

“Brennan’s at a big, big club now pushing for top four so the demands on him will be extreme,” said Page, who welcomed Johnson back into his squad after injury for this month’s decisive Euro 2024 qualifiers against Armenia and Turkey.

“The squad of players he’s got around him now will be slightly different, but I’m not concerned at all. Even by training with the players he’s with will bring him to another level.

“We’ve all seen the potential. When I worked with him at the Under-21s and the younger age groups, I could see he was going to go (to the top).

“It’s taken him a little bit of time to get up to that standard, but he’s shown glimpses of it.

“What is important now is that he sustains that level by playing with those players and the demands of the manager there. He will absolutely do that.”

Johnson has only scored twice in 22 Wales appearances – against Belgium and the Netherlands in the Nations League – and that is a disappointing return for a player considered to be Gareth Bale’s natural successor in the Dragons’ forward line.

Page suggested that is down to the way Wales have previously been structured as a team but he insists, as evidenced by last month’s stunning 2-1 win over World Cup semi-finalists Croatia, they are evolving as an attacking unit.

He said: “The majority of the games in the World Cup and Nations League A we were the underdogs and not going to have a lot of the ball.

“Our defensive structure has to be spot on if not you’re going to get found out, but as we evolve I’m asking more from the forward players and we saw that against Croatia.

“I brought Jack Lester in (as assistant coach), who’s one of the best forwards I played with and coaches I’ve seen. It was an area I wanted to improve and I’ve seen a difference already.”

Wales will avoid the play-offs in March and qualify automatically for next summer’s Euro 2024 finals in Germany if they beat Armenia in Yerevan on November 18 and Turkey in Cardiff three days later.

Page said: “I like Brennan as a nine purely because of his pace. He did that for us in Latvia (when Wales won 2-0 in September) and there’s not a defender out there who’s going to want to play against him and DJ (Daniel James) because pace frightens defenders.

“But I’m not going to pigeonhole him as a nine. He can play in any one of the front three positions easily.”

Ange Postecoglou was pleased Premier League leaders Tottenham passed their latest exam with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Crystal Palace and was in no mood to stop fans dreaming of a title challenge.

Spurs moved five points clear at the summit after they recovered from a sluggish first half at Selhurst Park to score twice in 13 second-half minutes.

An own-goal from Joel Ward broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when he deflected James Maddison’s cross beyond Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and it was 2-0 soon after when Tottenham captain Son Heung-min steered home after Brennan Johnson’s assist.

Jordan Ayew reduced the deficit for Palace in the fourth minute of stoppage-time, but Spurs held on to extend their unbeaten top-flight run to 10 matches and move five clear of Manchester City and Arsenal, who play Manchester United and Sheffield United respectively across the weekend.

“Let them dream. That’s what being a football supporter is all about. It’s fair to say this lot have suffered a fair bit, so I’m certainly not going to dampen that,” Postecoglou said.

“Top of the table is great and the results are great but it’s more in the manner we’re doing it. Pretty much from the first game we’ve had all sorts of different challenges we’ve had to overcome.

“Every time there has been a real focus and clear-headedness about the group collectively to deal with that.

“That has been a really pleasing thing and because they’re getting rewards from that, then that gives us the opportunity to accelerate the growth of giving them more tools out there to help them for whatever we need to overcome.

“I thought tonight was going to be a real difficult game for us. Coming here, Palace’s result last week, it’s a tight ground, they’d only conceded three goals in the four games so far and how were the lads going to cope with the fact we weren’t going to create as many chances as we had been?

“I really liked the way we worked through that as a group.”

After returning to the Premier League summit with a 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday, Spurs struggled in the first half at Selhurst Park and were indebted to fine early saves from Guglielmo Vicario to deny Ayew and Odsonne Edouard.

Postecoglou, who had lambasted his side for their second-half showing earlier in the week, introduced Emerson Royal for Ben Davies at the break and watched Ward put into his own net from Maddison’s cross to open the scoring.

It was 2-0 when Son fired home for his eighth goal of the campaign following Johnson’s smart pass, his first assist since a £45million deadline-day transfer from Nottingham Forest.

While Ayew managed to reduce the deficit – in the fourth minute of stoppage time after a lengthy VAR check – Tottenham stood firm to claim a fourth-straight win and show another side with a dogged defensively display, despite enjoying more than 70 per cent possession.

Postecoglou added: “I have always felt that matchdays are about the players. What we try to do on a daily basis is give them the tools to find the solutions.

“We prep them for their exam at the weekend, but we don’t know what the questions are going to be. They’ve got to work them out themselves.

“In an exam you are not asking anybody for help. You have to work it out yourself and hopefully what we’ve given them is the tools.”

Palace boss Roy Hodgson was disappointed to suffer a second-consecutive defeat and admitted his substitutes weakened his team.

“I thought it was an aggressive and quite-controlled first half from our side, but of course the first goal then produces a second,” he said.

“That is when we start putting players on the field, players who have not really played with the first team, Jes (Rak-Sakyi), (Naouirou) Ahamada, (Matheus) Franca and we lost the intensity we were able to do in the first half.

“In the end it became easy for them (Tottenham) to see the game through.”

Ange Postecoglou has hinted opportunities for his fringe players could be on the horizon ahead of a busy week for Tottenham.

Spurs return to action after the international break with a Monday night clash at home to Fulham and face a quick turnaround with a trip to Crystal Palace four days later.

Yves Bissouma is suspended for the visit of Fulham, which should see Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg earn a first Premier League start this season, and Postecoglou has also urged fit-again Giovani Lo Celso, Bryan Gil and Brennan Johnson to be ready if called upon.

“We’ve got a Monday night game and then we back it up with a Friday night game, so we’ll probably need a good deal of the squad to do those two games,” the Spurs boss explained.

“As good as we’ve been, there are still a few players like Brennan, (Rodrigo) Bentancur, Gil and Lo Celso who haven’t really played at all for us yet.

“Having them back, even in terms of training and raising the level, they are the things that will give us the focus to maintain and keep improving the performances.

“When there is competitiveness around the squad in training and playing, that guards against any complacency or anyone feeling comfortable about things.”

Bentancur is still “weeks” away from returning to first-team action after his anterior cruciate ligament injury in February, but Lo Celso will aim to make an impact over the next week.

Lo Celso was linked with a move away from Tottenham at the start of the summer before Postecoglou made clear his desire to keep the Argentinian, who then sustained a muscle issue in his only start of the campaign at Fulham in the Carabao Cup in August.

The midfielder is fit again now and made substitute appearances for Argentina against Paraguay and Peru during the international break.

Postecoglou said: “He is obviously very highly regarded within the Argentinian set-up because they always call him up and he played in both games.

“He didn’t play significant minutes but he played in both and played 15 to 20 in the second game. It is great for him and his confidence.

“Unfortunately he had a disrupted early part of the season but again another player we haven’t had a contribution from and that’s a pleasing thing for us.”

Postecoglou will hope to see Gil begin to contribute too following his return to full fitness after surgery on his groin in August.

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The Australian admitted Gil’s influence is even more critical with Ivan Perisic (ACL) and Manor Solomon (knee) out until 2024.

“Bryan can be really important for us,” Postecoglou insisted.

“It has been great to have him just working really hard at training. He’s missed all of this season so far and it’s well chronicled that we lost Ivan and Manor, who play in that left-wing position.

“Having Bryan fit and available again is great for us. He’s, I guess, in the same boat as everyone else because at some point he’ll be afforded an opportunity and then it’s up to him.

“He certainly has all the criteria and credentials to play in that position for us and, like I said, his training is getting stronger now, he’s part of the group and I’m sure he’ll get an opportunity.”

Wales manager Rob Page has promised not to jeopardise the health of Brennan Johnson by telling him to turn up for international duty when carrying an injury.

Johnson will miss Wales’ crunch Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia in Cardiff on October 15 after sustaining a hamstring injury on his first start for Tottenham against Arsenal in the north London derby.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou confirmed on Friday that Johnson will miss Tottenham’s Premier League trip to Luton this weekend but will be fit to return after the international break.

Page said: “The communication between us and Tottenham has been first-class. It’s about having mutual respect. Both managers want a talented player fit so it’s about working together.

“I’m not going to insist that he has to come away and we’re going to play him, jeopardise his safety and health. I wouldn’t do that. But they also understand the importance of our games.”

Page criticised Johnson’s former club Nottingham Forest after he missed Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifier away to Croatia in March.

Page said at the time that he should have been “stronger” to ensure Johnson arrived on camp for Wales to make their own medical assessment of the 22-year-old forward.

Johnson has since joined Tottenham for £47.5million – the second highest transfer fee paid for a Welsh player after Gareth Bale – and is considered to be a hugely influential figure as Wales move forward in the post-Bale era.

On communicating with Tottenham over Johnson’s fitness situation, Page added: “We’ve had great conversations with them, but ultimately his injury will dictate whether he can meet up or not.”

Wales realistically need to avoid defeat against World Cup semi-finalists Croatia and win both games of their November double-header to secure automatic qualification for next summer’s Euro 2024 in Germany.

Captain Aaron Ramsey was not named in the squad for the Croatia game after damaging a knee tendon and has also been ruled out of November’s games against Armenia and Turkey by his Cardiff manager Erol Bulut.

Rob Page has described the loss of “big players” Aaron Ramsey and Brennan Johnson for Wales’ vital Euro 2024 qualifier with Croatia as a “blow”, but is confident the pair will be fit for final group games in November.

Skipper Ramsey misses out with a knee tendon problem that has forced him to miss Cardiff’s last five games, while Tottenham’s new £47.5million forward Johnson is sidelined by a hamstring injury sustained in the north London derby draw at Arsenal.

“I don’t think the injuries are too serious but unfortunately it has put both players out of this camp,” Wales manager Page said.

“It is a blow for us because they are big players for us. Aaron has probably been playing his most relaxed football, so that is an added blow.

“Brennan has picked up an injury. To what level we still don’t know yet, but it rules him out of this camp.

“In spite of the injuries, we’ve still got enough in the team from a forward perspective to create chances against Croatia.

“We are quite strong in those positions with David Brooks, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore.”

There have been fears that 32-year-old Ramsey may require surgery after making such a promising start to the season upon returning to hometown club Cardiff.

But Page is hopeful Ramsey and Johnson will both be available for the November double-header against Armenia and Turkey, which will decide if Wales secure automatic Euro 2024 qualification or are forced to rely on the play-offs.

“To be mentioning surgery suggests it is a significant injury,” Page said. “I had injuries as a player and you can let it heal naturally or go down the surgery route.

“I would always take the option for it to heal naturally, so I get it why he’s gone down that route.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a spell of games going beyond November that he’s going to miss.

“So we’re confident that we can get him back for November’s camp providing how well he heals. But we’ll have to wait and see.”

On Johnson, Page added: “It’s not a serious one but the timing dictates it (his omission). If he’s not going to be right for Spurs, then it’s not fair for us to pick him and try and play him.”

Page has handed first senior call-ups to midfielder Charlie Savage – son of former Wales international Robbie – and full-back Owen Beck, the great nephew of Ian Rush.

Uncapped Fulham teenager Luke Harris also returns to the squad, with Wales hosting Gibraltar in a Wrexham friendly, four days before the Croatia clash in Cardiff.

Asked if Savage senior, his former teammate, had been in touch, Page said: “Numerous times, I can’t get him off the phone. I’ve had to tell him: ‘Stop texting me, I know he’s doing OK.’

“You know what Rob’s like, he’s very enthusiastic, but Charlie can take care of himself.

“Look at what Rob went through when he left Man United years ago to get a career for himself going at Crewe. No different to Charlie, who has gone out to Reading where he has been playing and scoring goals.”

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has been put on the standby list after scoring nearly 80 goals in just over two seasons for the Red Dragons, now in Sky Bet League Two after last season’s promotion from the National League.

Mullin, 28, who qualifies through his Welsh-born grandmother, has only just returned to action after puncturing a lung and fracturing four ribs on Wrexham’s pre-season tour to the United States.

Page said: “He’s on standby for the squad and one step away.

“We monitor Welsh players up and down the country, and if they are scoring goals at whatever level we’ll take note.”

Wales captain Aaron Ramsey and Brennan Johnson will miss next week’s vital Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia.

Both players have been omitted from Rob Page’s squad for their friendly against Gibraltar on October 11 and Group D qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium on October 15.

Ramsey damaged his right knee in training last month and there are fears the 32-year-old midfielder may need surgery after missing Cardiff’s last five games.

Tottenham midfielder Johnson sustained a hamstring injury in his side’s recent 2-2 draw at Arsenal and sat out Saturday’s win against Liverpool.

The pair’s absence is a huge blow to under-pressure Page, whose side sit fourth in their group after winning only two of their first five matches.

Johnson had been expected to be included after Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said before the Liverpool game that his injury was “nothing too serious”.

Wales are also without QPR defender Morgan Fox and Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo (both knee), while Reading midfielder Charlie Savage and Liverpool defender Owen Beck have received their first senior team call-ups.

Leeds winger Daniel James returns to the squad after missing last month’s Euro 2024 qualifying victory in Latvia.

Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore is available for the Croatia game after missing the last two Euro qualifiers due to the red card he received against Armenia in June.

Page eased some of the pressure on him last month with Wales’ 2-0 victory in Latvia.

But his side still face an uphill battle to secure automatic qualification for next summer’s finals in Germany through a top-two finish.

Wales realistically need to avoid defeat against 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Croatia and win their final two games in Armenia and at home to Turkey in November to do so.

Neco Williams has backed his former Nottingham Forest team-mate Brennan Johnson to thrive at Tottenham and keep Wales in the race for Euro 2024 qualification.

Johnson completed a £47.5million transfer to Spurs in the final minutes of deadline day and has not yet played for his new club.

But Williams said the 22-year-old forward celebrated the move by taking several of his Wales team-mates out to dinner in London and picking up the tab.

Johnson is, perhaps unfairly, considered the direct replacement for record Spurs goalscorer Harry Kane and the man to fill the boots of retired Wales great Gareth Bale at international level.

“A lot fans will say that, but at the same time Brennan is not Gareth Bale or Harry Kane,” Forest full-back Williams said ahead of Wales’ vital Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia on Monday.

“He’s his own player and he has got his own style. He wouldn’t want to be compared to them or be seen as their replacements to step in.

“He has got the potential to reach the highest of levels. But at the same time he’s only 22 and still very young.

“He has proven it in the Premier League and now he has to prove it at what you’d say is a top-six team and do it in the Premier League again.

“He’s got a move for big money and you can see that his confidence has taken him to the next level.

“Hopefully he can take that with him into this Wales camp and win us some games.”

Johnson met up with some of his Wales colleagues in London after joining Tottenham before arriving for international duty.

“We celebrated with a little drink and some nice food,” said 22-year-old Williams.

“It was a little meet up and a chance to say congratulations to Brennan on his move. To be fair, he got the bill as well.

“Everyone was buzzing for him. It was last minute but we are all very pleased for him.

“I’m just not looking forward to seeing him come back to the City Ground!”

Johnson and Williams both started on Thursday as Wales drew 0-0 with South Korea in a Cardiff friendly.

But the Latvia game represents the important part of the September double-header as Wales attempt to revive their Euro 2024 qualification bid.

Defeats to Armenia and Turkey in June have left Wales playing catch-up in Group D and there is no margin for error in Riga.

Williams said: “When we look back on it, the goals we conceded, we know we can do so much better than that.

“As a team, that just wasn’t us. You can pinpoint so many things.

“The gaps were too big from the strikers to the defenders, it just wasn’t a good performance all-round.

“We’ve got top teams in our group and knew it wasn’t going to be easy from the start.

“But we’ve got plenty of games to put that right and get as many points as possible to qualify.”

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min says he cannot wait to play with £47.5million deadline-day signing Brennan Johnson.

The two players could be in direct opposition on Thursday when Johnson’s Wales host Son’s South Korea in a Cardiff friendly.

After international duty, the pair are set to line up in the same side for the first time as Spurs seek to build on their promising start under Ange Postecoglou at home to Sheffield United on September 16.

“Brennan is another new player. He showed his quality last year at Nottingham Forest and I can’t wait to see him with my eyes,” Son said of his new team-mate who will be expected to fill some of the goals void left by Harry Kane’s summer exit.

“He’s a very good player and he has a very good talent. Welcome to Spurs! I can’t wait to play with him.

“It’s only been four games and we’re looking to keep going in a positive way with our new signing Brennan.

“When he comes to Spurs he wants to improve and go to the next step. He will feel the pressure but I can’t wait to have him in our team playing even better fast and attacking football.”

Son became captain of his country in 2019 and guided them to the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He was handed the same role at Spurs following Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich last month.

“It’s a great honour and privilege to be captain for club and country,” said Son, who scored a hat-trick in Tottenham’s 5-2 weekend win at Burnley.

“Being a captain is not about words. It’s by actions.

“I have to prove it and show to my team-mates and the team that I can be the leader of the team on and off the pitch.

“I have great players around me with my country and at Tottenham. It was great to score at the weekend.

“But I’m always calm and I never rush when I’m not scoring for a few games because I have 10 players behind me and that’s why we all love football. They help me to become a better person, player and captain.”

South Korea are managed by former Tottenham hero Jurgen Klinsmann and the World Cup winner believes they can end their trophy drought under new boss Postecoglou.

Spurs have not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup.

The former Germany striker said: “We all know what’s happening in the league and how dominant Man City is at the moment and how difficult it is.

“I look at last year and Arsenal were amazing but I see a team that is not less quality than Arsenal in this Spurs side.

“They have a fantastic coach now, a manager who is a good people person and why can’t they surprise a lot of people this year?

“Son’s goal and his team-mates’ goal is to win trophies. It’s been a long time for Spurs but you start every year with this goal and ambition in mind. The players and coach have that.

“I’m a follower and I keep my fingers crossed as one of their biggest fans. I hope they are successful and win something.”

Ange Postecoglou believes Brennan Johnson can take a step up after completing a £45million move to Tottenham before Friday’s transfer deadline.

Spurs have reinvested some of the money received from Bayern Munich for Harry Kane on the 22-year-old Wales international, who scored eight goals and provided three assists to help Nottingham Forest avoid relegation last season.

Johnson was not registered in time to feature in Saturday’s 5-2 thrashing of Burnley at Turf Moor, but his arrival should add another dimension to a Tottenham side who were inspired by Son Heung-min’s hat-trick and could have scored even more in an exciting attacking display.

“He’s just another exciting young player. He’s a real threat in the front third, he’s different from what we’ve already got, he’s young and ambitious,” Postecoglou said. “It’s no secret that’s the model for me.

“It’s just as much about the person as well as the footballer, and looking at him he’s going to fit in really well with this group. He’s ambitious and hungry and wants to take his game to the next level.

“The technical and the physical attributes he has, he should fit in really well.”

Johnson was the ninth signing of a busy window for Tottenham, who spent more than £200million to reshape the squad in Postecoglou’s style.

But the Australian said it was just the start and that there is more work that he wants to do in the market in future windows.

“When you look at the team we have now, we virtually changed half the starting line up, the way we train, the way we coach,” he said. “The rebuild was never going to be one window.”

Spurs had fallen behind to an early Lyle Foster strike at Burnley but Son levelled in the 16th minute and they ruthlessly punished defensive mistakes from the hosts as Cristian Romero got a second in first-half stoppage time and James Maddison added a third early in the second half.

Son then scored twice in four minutes just after the hour to complete his hat-trick before Spurs took their foot off the pedal, with Josh Brownhill getting a stoppage-time consolation for the Clarets.

The defeat means Burnley have suffered three consecutive home defeats to begin life back in the top flight, conceding 11 goals in losses to Manchester City, Aston Villa and Spurs.

Vincent Kompany will now use the international break to pick the bones out of what has gone wrong for his side, but remains bullish that their methods will come good.

“During my career I’ve not just been a good leader or captain because of the good times,” the four-time Premier League winner said.

“It is easy to be a good captain or leader then, it is at these times I feel most confident in what you need to do to get better. You need to analyse what needs to get better and decide what the next step is.

“We will do everything we can to avoid defeat but it is at these moments you learn most about your team’s character.”

Tottenham have completed the signing of Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £47.5million.

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou made the Wales international his number one target following the departure of Harry Kane last month and secured the services of the young attacker late on transfer deadline day.

Johnson has signed a deal at Tottenham until the summer of 2029 after bringing his lengthy association at Forest to an end.

Versatile forward Johnson made his Forest debut in 2019, following in the footsteps of father David, and went on to make 108 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 29 goals.

Ex-Lincoln loanee Johnson became a key figure following Steve Cooper’s arrival at the City Ground and was prominent in the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2022 before he scored eight times last season to guide them to top flight survival.

While Johnson signed a four-year deal at Forest last summer, he has been prized away for a fee worth £47.5m with a 10 per cent sell-on clause included in the transfer.

Forest did turn down two bids from Brentford for Johnson – who can play anywhere across the front three – earlier in the window, but this sale will help satisfy their Financial Fair Play requirements.

Johnson’s arrival concludes a busy summer of incomings for Tottenham under new head coach Postecoglou, who has taken on a lead role on transfers in the absence of a director of football.

The Australian revealed on Friday that Spurs were close to finding a replacement for Fabio Paratici, who resigned from the role in April.

“If you look at the way the club’s worked previously, that’s always been in place,” Postecoglou said of a director of football.

“When you’re doing something and there’s already a process in place, then you know how it’s going to work.

“Where there’s a new manager and no sporting director, I think anyone would say it’s unusual.

“Yeah, I think it will (be resolved soon). That’s definitely the club’s plan. It’s fair to say that going into the window, there was no point in rushing that appointment, particularly with a new manager in.

“The thinking behind it was that probably the best way to charter this unusual process is to have less involvement with new people as possible. So far, the evidence, when you see the players we’ve brought in, I think we’ve navigated it pretty well.

“I’m not going to appoint the person, I’m certainly not going to get involved in that process.

“The club have already got a clear idea of the way I work and the way I think and the way I want my teams to play. Whoever that person is, it’s my role then to get him to understand me and see the game through my eyes.

“I’ve never felt encumbered with whoever I work with. I usually get my way with whoever I work with. I don’t have total control. I have control of one side of it.

“I wouldn’t see the sense in bringing a player in I didn’t think would fit. I don’t care who was putting him forward or giving him to me, because I think ultimately whatever happens I’m going to take responsibility.

“I like working with a sporting director because they do most of the leg work that I just don’t have the time to do.

“When you’ve got a good sporting director, you work together. They see the game through your eyes.”

Johnson’s arrival was Tottenham’s only incoming on transfer deadline day after proposed moves for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and Lloyd Kelly of Bournemouth collapsed.

Spurs had to trim their squad before they could sanction any more incomings and even though defenders Japhet Tanganga and Sergio Reguilon left on loan to join Augsburg and Manchester United respectively, Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez were unable to secure transfers away.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also turned down an approach from Fulham and further talks with Atletico Madrid collapsed, while Tanguy Ndombele and Bryan Gil remained at Tottenham.

What the papers say

Tottenham head into transfer deadline with their pursuit of Wales forward Brennan Johnson, 22, from Nottingham Forest continuing, according to the Evening Standard. The Daily Telegraph reports Chelsea’s England midfielder Conor Gallagher, 23, could also be a late target for Spurs.

Fulham have emerged as suitors for Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg according to the Evening Standard. With Joao Palhinha a possible deadline day departure, Fulham are also being linked with a move for Manchester United’s Scott McTominay.

Wolves are looking to strengthen their striking options with the Daily Mail reporting they are interested in Scotland forward Che Adams from Southampton. Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho is another option for a move to Molineux.

Nottingham Forest are keen on bringing Ivory Coast midfielder Ibrahim Sangare to the City Ground. The Daily Mail reports Forest have revived talks with PSV Eindhoven over a deal.

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Hannibal Mejbri: Sevilla and Anderlecht are keen on the 20-year-old midfielder, who has been told he has a role at Manchester United if he stays at Old Trafford.

Johan Bakayoko: Brentford are believed to have lodged a club-record bid to bring the striker, 20, from PSV Eindhoven.

Wales boss Rob Page has backed Brennan Johnson to fill the striker void at Tottenham left by Harry Kane’s departure.

Record Spurs goal-scorer Kane moved to Bayern Munich in a £100million deal earlier this month and Tottenham have yet to replace him ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline.

But Tottenham are leading the chase for Wales forward Johnson with Nottingham Forest ready to listen to offers around the £50m mark.

“I wouldn’t even talk about the Harry Kane situation and going in to fill that,” Page said after naming a 25-man squad for the September 7 friendly with South Korea and the crunch Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia four days later.

“He’s his own person and player, a different type of player. I think he’s just got to go.”

Page saw Johnson play for Forest on Saturday in their 3-2 defeat at Manchester United.

Johnson came off 20 minutes from time, but Page said the 22-year-old was “fully fit” for international duty.

“Young players today – and Brennan falls into this category – are a confident breed and he’s more than capable of playing at that level (for Tottenham),” said Page.

“I think Brennan has a good support network around him. I know his dad (David), who used to play so he’s been through all this himself.

“You need that network as a young lad. I don’t believe he will get carried with it. He will stay grounded and won’t change.

“You don’t go into a club expecting to fill somebody’s else’s boots.

“He’s a very different player to Harry and, if he goes there, it is on his own ability and what he can offer to the team.”

Leeds winger Daniel James is sidelined by an adductor injury while Joe Morrell and Kieffer Moore – who are available for the Cardiff friendly with South Korea – are suspended for the trip to Riga after receiving respective red cards against Armenia and Turkey in June.

Tom Lockyer is in the squad for the first time since collapsing in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley in May.

Lockyer underwent an operation to address an irregular heartbeat but has since returned to action to lead Luton in their first Premier League campaign.

Page said: “It’s a great story. We all watched the events unfold in the play-off final. We were all concerned, but there has been nothing but positivity since that day.

“He has had some great news, he is back to normal and is now playing in the Premier League, which is unbelievable for him as well.

“It is always going to be a challenge when you get promoted to the Premier League, Luton have done really well to be where they are at with the resources they have available to them.

“But for him personally he should be very proud of how he has recovered after it. A dream for him was to play in the Premier League and he has achieved that.”

Josh Sheehan and Wes Burns earn recalls as Ollie Cooper and Luke Harris drop out of the squad.

Fulham midfielder Harris, 18, has been in and around the squad for the past 12 months but has yet to be capped.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it?,” said Page. “Luke’s not been involved for Fulham and the day I announce the squad the night before he’s on the bench and comes on.

“The plan might be that Luke still goes out on loan to play games at a lower level.

“We see potential in him, but it hasn’t quite gone how I anticipated if I’m being honest.

“But like with Rubin (Colwill) and JJ (Jordan James) we’ve wanted to see them play more games.

“It’s about managing Luke and he’ll drop back down to the Under-21s now.

“It benefited Harry Wilson when Ryan (Giggs) was manager and, although it’s good we can expose him to this environment, there’s nothing like playing games and getting caps.”