Chelsea have joined Brentford and West Ham United in the race to sign Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson.
The ‘talented‘ forward scored 10 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions last season, as he played a key part in retaining the Reds’ Premier League status.
Johnson, who has a contract at his boyhood club until 2026, has been subject to interest from Brentford and West Ham already this summer, with Thomas Frank’s side having a £35 million bid rejected for the Welsh international.
Forest are refusing to enter negotiations for the forward until they receive a bid in the region of £50 million.
However, with Chelsea having raised nearly £300 million this summer alone, they may be able to fork out a fee close to the asking price for the 22-year-old.
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A potential bidding war for Brennan Johnson?
Forest are said to be open to selling Johnson this window in order to comply with FFP regulations, but, as previously stated, it would take at least £50 million before the club considered a deal.
With three separate Premier League clubs interested in Johnson, somewhat of a bidding war may take place for the signature of the Welsh international.
However, to sweeten the deal for Steve Cooper’s side, Maurizio Pochettino’s side are considering a player-plus-cash move for Johnson.
Trevor Chalobah and Callum Hudson-Odoi have both been linked with moves to the City Ground in recent times and could potentially be included in any deal.
If Cooper’s side were to get a fee of £50 million for the Welshman, it would be seen as a superb piece of business for someone who has only made 33 starts in the Premier League throughout his career.
With 22-year-old Johnson being a Nottingham Forest Academy graduate, any fee received would be pure profit, helping the club’s FFP margins.