Aston Villa are interested in Brennan Johnson, but the Nottingham Forest forward won’t come cheap.
According to a report from Birmingham Live, Aston Villa are considering a move for Brennan Johnson. However, the Villans would almost certainly have to offer a club record fee in order to prise the 22-year-old away from the City Ground.
Villa are likely to splash the cash this summer. This is especially true with Unai Emery’s successful start to life at Villa Park, having brought about qualification for the Europa Conference League. With a continental campaign on the horizon, the Spanish coach will be keen to bolster his squad.
Aston Villa’s previous club record transfer was Emiliano Buendia, who they brought in for a fee of up to £38 million from Norwich City in June 2021. After a slow start to life in the Midlands, the Argentine has impressed recently, however he may not remain the subject of Villa’s record spend for long.
Villa have already impressed with their summer business, bringing in Youri Tielemans on a free transfer.
Would Brennan Johnson be worth it?
In the current climate of the transfer market, Nottingham Forest could certainly hold out for a fee exceeding Buendia’s price tag. They are also under no pressure to sell, given their own rich ownership and having secured Premier League survival.
Johnson played a key role in keeping Forest up. The Wales international notched eight goals in his debut top flight campaign. However, he wasn’t always a guaranteed starter under Steve Cooper. Johnson’s form was also fairly inconsistent. Despite this, Cooper has previously heaped praise on the attacker, saying “just imagine where we’d be without him…he’s so committed to be the best he can be.”
Johnson has bags of talent and huge potential. However, given that Villa are looking to maintain their impressive Premier League form and make an impact in Europe, they’d perhaps be better off bringing in a more experienced and proven option who could hit the ground running. Emery’s squad also needs improving in other areas, which makes going big for Johnson even harder to justify.
