Chelsea are in the running to sign Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson this summer.
The Blues have been keen to bolster their attacking depth throughout the transfer window and were close to sealing a move for Michael Olise – before the Crystal Palace winger signed a four-year contract extension on Thursday.
Chelsea’s interest in Johnson, however, has been longstanding and the Forest star has been on their radar prior to their move for Olise falling through.
However, any move for the Wales international will depend on Chelsea meeting Forest’s £50m valuation for the 22-year-old.
Tottenham, West Ham and Brentford have all registered interest in Johnson throughout the summer but the Blues are now leading the race.
Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson
Mauricio Pochettino has overhauled his Blues squad in his first season at the helm at Stamford Bridge
However, there are concerns from the player’s side over the amount of game time he would receive if he secured a move to west London, given their bloated squad.
In the case of any deal being struck, Forest would look to land one of Trevoh Chalobah, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ian Maatsen.
The 22-year-old was ever present for Forest in the Premier League last season, as Steve Cooper’s side narrowly avoided relegation in their first season back in the top flight.
Johnson was behind only Taiwo Awoniyi in the club’s scoring charts in his first Premier League campaign, but reports suggest he could soon be bound for a move away from the City Ground.
The possibility of Chelsea players being included in any prospective deal is said to have been discussed between the two clubs, with Forest valuing their academy graduate at around £45million.
Chelsea have a number of players that have become surplus to requirements since the squad upheaval undertaken by Pochettino in his first transfer window at the club that could be offered as part of a deal.
Johnson currently has three years left on his current contract at Forest, having signed a deal until the summer of 2026 last year.
Johnson netted 8 times in 38 Premier League appearances for Steve Cooper’s side last season
Should the Wales international make the move to Stamford Bridge he would be just the latest acquisition in what has been a landmark period of spending since Todd Boehly took the helm last year.
The arrival of Moises Caicedo earlier this month marked the second time in 2023, that the club has broken the British transfer record, and the Ecuadorian joins a sizeable cohort of new arrivals at the club this summer.
Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Robert Sanchez, Lesley Ugochukwu and Angelo Gabriel have all arrived for fees at the Blues this summer, with the capture of Romeo Lavia from Southampton expected to be announced imminently.
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