Everton are set to battle it out with Crystal Palace and a few other Premier League clubs for the signing of Nottingham Forest youngster Brennan Johnson.
According to an exclusive report from Football League World, Everton and Crystal Palace are among a host of Premier League clubs interested in Nottingham Forest and Wales attacker Brennan Johnson.
The 20-year-old is a product of the Nottingham Forest youth academy and broke into the first-team back in 2019 at the age of 18 years. Johnson spent the last season away on loan at Lincoln City and made a big impression, producing a tally of 13 goals and 14 assists in 48 games.
Back at Nottingham Forest in the summer, the versatile attacking midfielder, who can play anywhere in the final third of the pitch, was integrated into the senior team. And, the youngster has rewarded the faith shown in him with some exciting displays. Johnson has netted three goals and created three more for his teammates from 15 Championship appearances this season.
The 20-year-old has also managed to break into the Wales national team, making five appearances so far. However, his future at Nottingham Forest has been cast into doubts owing to his contract situation. Johnson’s current deal with the Reds runs out in 2023, and even though the club are working to tie him down to a new contract, interest from clubs in the Premier League is mounting rapidly.
Everton and Crystal Palace are among the teams that are keeping a close eye on the youngster’s situation with a view of signing him up, the report above claims. Everton are in the market for a new attacking midfielder after having lost James Rodriguez earlier this season. In addition, Gylfi Sigurdsson has been frozen out and will soon be allowed to leave as well.
This leaves manager Rafael Benitez without a proper option in the No. 10 position. While summer signing Demarai Gray has fared well in the role, he is much more comfortable out on the flanks, which makes signing an attacking midfielder important. And, Johnson, to that end, can be a handy signing for the Merseysiders.
Add to that, his ability to play on either flank or as a centre-forward would provide added depth and flexibility to the manager. However, Everton will have to battle Crystal Palace if they are to land the 20-year-old Welshman. The Eagles are taking exciting steps forward under the management of Patrick Vieira, as was witnessed in their impressive win over Manchester City on Saturday.
But with the likes of Christian Benteke and Jordan Ayew not producing the goods in the final third consistently, adding another player to bolster their attacking ranks would make sense. And Johnson fits into the profile of players that Palace have looked to sign of late, with his versatility being an added benefit.
Apart from these two teams, Newcastle United and Brighton are also keeping tabs on the young Welshman. So, it will be interesting to see if Johnson ends up sealing a move to the Premier League in the near future or signs a new contract at the City Ground.
