There is no point in sugarcoating the matter – Brennan Johnson has endured a terrible start to life at Crystal Palace.
£35m was spent to sign the Wales international from Tottenham back in January, but the former Nottingham Forest man is yet to score in 26 appearances for the Eagles and largely fails to get stuck in while out on the pitch.
Johnson is therefore under huge pressure to start the 2026/27 campaign well under Pierre Sage – and that pressure has now intensified as Yeremy Pino looks set to miss the start of the season.
How can Brennan Johnson make a name for himself at Crystal Palace? 🏴
Brennan Johnson must be ready to hit the ground running next term
Pino is set to spend at least two months on the sidelines if the Spain international has broken his collarbone – scans are set to determine the extent of his injury suffered in the World Cup win over Uruguay.
That would see the Crystal Palace No.10 miss the start of next season, meaning Johnson is likely to come in and take his spot on the left of the attack.
Had Pino avoided injury, the Spaniard seemed likely to start under Sage, and the Welshman could have then flown under the radar and worked on improving himself in training at Copers Cope out of the spotlight.
Now – however – Johnson is likely to be thrown straight in from the first whistle next season, so he is under even more pressure to deliver for Crystal Palace next term.
Ultimately, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Johnson is now 25 years of age and can boast immense experience at the highest level, having accumulated 140 Premier League appearances and 24 outings in European competitions – not to mention winning the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League.
The former Spurs man should be seen as someone who can become a leader under Sage and help Crystal Palace enjoy another memorable campaign next term.
Initial thoughts on Pierre Sage? 🤔
He can boast a 67.5% win ratio from 40 games at RC Lens 😍
Hopefully, that proves to be the case, with Johnson now set to get a run of games in the starting XI as Pino recovers from his collarbone issue.
