Clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have learned how much they would have to pay to sign Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest, per a report.
Forest have been keen to fend off interest in Johnson this summer, but various suitors have been queueing up to test their resolve. He has been suggested as one of the solutions Tottenham could turn to in case they have to sell Harry Kane.
Although not as natural a centre-forward, Johnson earned some minutes as the focal point of Steve Cooper’s attack last season. Therefore, Tottenham have been monitoring him as someone they could integrate into their project.
According to Football Insider, he is also the subject of interest from Aston Villa and Brentford. In fact, the former have registered their interest and the latter have already failed with some bids to sign him this summer, having already been willing to break their transfer record.
However, the latest update suggests that Johnson does have a price at which Forest might cave in after all. Per Football Insider, Forest would reluctantly listen to offers above £40m.
They still want to keep Johnson, but also know they could reinvest a fee of that amount – likely a club-record windfall – into some signings of their own, which would be important to them.
Therefore, they have now made their demands clear for how much they think Johnson is worth. The payment structure of any proposal will also be an important factor to take into account.
Forest put ball in suitors’ courts
It is now over to Johnson’s long line of suitors, which according to the Daily Mail may also include Everton and West Ham, to decide if they think Forest’s requests are reasonable.
In turn, they could make bids to put Forest’s new stance to the test. If they fail to meet the asking price, though, Johnson will remain under contract at the City Ground until 2026.
After coming through their academy, Johnson has made 105 appearances for Forest’s first team. In the process, he has scored 29 goals and provided 12 assists.
Last season, which included his first taste of Premier League action, he scored 10 goals and set up three more from 44 appearances across all competitions.
At international level, he has two goals from 19 senior caps for Wales. At the age of 22, he has potential to get even better, which is what Forest have reflected in their valuation of him.
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