Newcastle United are planning a raid on Nottingham Forest for Brennan Johnson in the summer. According to The Athletic, the Reds forward is rated highly by Eddie Howe.
The 21-year-old is an academy graduate at the City Ground. He has risen through the ranks and grown as a player over the last few seasons.
In 2020/21, he starred for Lincoln City, scoring 13 goals and claiming 14 assists as the Imps reached the League One play-off final at Wembley.
Last season he was handed the chance to become a first-team star at Forest. He took that chance with aplomb, bagging 19 goals and registering 10 assists as Forest reached the Premier League.
Johnson has continued his fine form into this season. He’s adapted nicely to the top flight, scoring nine goals and since the World Cup, he’s been magnificent.
MORE FOREST STORIES
His form in the Premier League is catching the eye though. Carabao Cup finalists Newcastle are the latest to show interest and Forest might have a job on their hands to keep him.
Whoever wants to sign Johnson will need to dig deep though. He recently signed a four-year contract and if he reaches double figures this season, that will only jack his valuation up.
Newcastle planning raid on Johnson
It’s not surprising that other clubs are hatching plans to sign Johnson. They must be wary though that Forest find themselves in a nice position when it comes to the forward.
Even if the club are relegated, they won’t want to lose their homegrown talent. Johnson will crave Premier League football, however, and every player has a price.
It’s been wonderful to watch Johnson grow this season. Since returning from the World Cup he’s been like a brand new player and he’s once again become Forest’s match-winner.
During a recent game against Leeds, Clinton Morrison raved about him. Working for the BBC, he called the player ‘fantastic‘ after his winner which came courtesy of a stunning volley.
The chance to join the modern-day Newcastle is likely to be attractive. As a result, staying in the Premier League would give Forest the best chance of keeping hold of Johnson.