Everton, Newcastle United and West Ham United are in the race to sign Nottingham Forest starlet Brennan Johnson.
According to Daily Mail, Premier League clubs are lining up a move for Brennan Johnson heading into the upcoming January transfer window. The Nottingham Forest attacker has become one of the hottest prospects in the Championship, with the likes of Everton, West Ham United and Newcastle United interested in his services.
Everton and Newcastle United are already preparing a bid for Johnson, with Nottingham ready to cash in on their star attacker for a fee of around £20 million. West Ham are not far behind in the race, though, while Leeds United are another club in contention to sign the youngster in January.
A native of Nottingham, Johnson initially made his breakthrough during a loan spell at Lincoln City last season. He was involved in 24 goals in League One, helping the club achieve a top-five finish in the English third division.
His breakthrough has helped the young winger earn a more prominent role at Nottingham Forest this season, with the player featuring in 23 league matches this term. So far, he has been involved in nine goals, impressing the onlookers with his pace and dynamism in the final third.
Johnson’s performances have not gone unnoticed, with Everton likely considering him as a potential alternative for another one of their targets in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as Rafael Benitez continues to scour the market for attacking reinforcements.
Another club in contention to sign the Nottingham Forest starlet is Newcastle United. While the Magpies have been linked with virtually every top player across Europe, they consider Johnson to be an ideal option, as the 20-year-old can not only aid the club’s survival campaign in 2022 but also help the team in the Championship, in case they do get relegated.
West Ham, meanwhile, should have no second thoughts in investing £20 million for the Nottingham Forest starlet, given the success they have with Championship players like Jarrod Bown and Said Benrahma. Johnson, to that end, could prove to be a direct replacement for Andriy Yarmolenko, who has been linked with a January exit to Genoa.
However, with so much competition, it will be interesting to see which club comes out on top for the pursuit of Brennan Johnson as he braces himself for the take next step in his career.