Nottingham Forest now need a ‘minor miracle’ to hold on to £30m star.
Nottingham Forest will now need a ‘minor miracle’ to keep Brennan Johnson at the club beyond the summer window, transfer insider Dean Jones revealed to GIVEMESPORT.
Johnson was part of the Forest side that retained their position in the Premier League, but he has since been subject to interest from fellow top-flight clubs.
Nottingham Forest transfer news – Brennan Johnson
One of their favourite sons, local lad Johnson shone throughout the 2022/23 campaign, as despite the odds being stacked against them, Forest avoided relegation to the second tier.
In what was their first season in the Premier League this century, the Nottingham-based outfit will now be keen to ensure second-season syndrome doesn’t strike when the football resumes in August.
However, it looks as if Forest could suffer a heavy set-back to next season’s survival hopes before a ball is even kicked, as interest in key man Johnson begins to gather pace.
According to a report by The Telegraph, the attacker has been subject to an unsuccessful £30 million bid from Brentford – a signing which would be the Bees’ most expensive of all-time.
It’s claimed Brentford, who finished in the top half of the Premier League last season, want to make Johnson a key part of their squad, with the west Londoners eyeing up a shock European finish next time around.
But while Forest may have laughed off Brentford’s £30 million approach, there are worries that it might just be delaying the inevitable.
What has Dean Jones said about Johnson and Forest?
When quizzed on the likely outcome for Johnson this summer, transfer insider Jones was downbeat about Forest’s chances of keeping hold of the Welshman.
On the 21-year-old’s future, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Forest might be able to knock this one back, but I think they’ll find it more difficult to get through as the months pass by. It’d be a minor miracle if they managed to hold on to Brennan Johnson for the duration of the transfer window, but they’ll give it everything they’ve got.”
How did Johnson perform in his debut Premier League season?
Often deployed directly behind the striker, but sometimes out on either flank, Johnson’s versatility remains one of the attributes that make him so key to Steve Cooper’s plans.
Featuring 44 times across all competitions, Johnson chipped in with an impressive 10 goals and a further three assists for the Tricky Trees (Transfermarkt).
Granted, his output was at times patchy, but according to WhoScored statistics, Johnson averaged at least one shot per game in the Premier League, demonstrating his threat at the top of the pitch.
While they would most likely land a hefty sum of cash should they sell him, for Forest, keeping hold of one of the fans’ favourites has to be viewed as a priority heading into their second season back in the Premier League.
