Chelsea have opened talks with Nottingham Forest to sign forward Brennan Johnson after missing out on Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, according to the Guardian.
Mauricio Pochettino has been overhauling his squad this summer and the Argentinean coach is keen on bringing in another forward after allowing the likes of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Fofana to leave this summer.
Chelsea were reportedly favourites to complete a deal for Olise after triggering his £35m release clause but the highly-rated winger is set to stay at Selhurst Park after signing a new contract with Palace.
Olise is currently on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury while playing for France in the European U-21 Championships in June. He made 13 goal contributions in 37 appearances and was named the club’s player of the year.
Chelsea have already made seven summer signings including Moises Caicedo, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, and Nicolas Jackson, however, Pochettino is focussed on signing another forward before the window closes on September 1.
Competition
The Guardian claims that Chelsea are now showing a keen interest in signing Johnson and have opened talks over a deal. Forest value the youngster at around £45m but the Blues could include players in a part exchange deal to lower the financial outlay.
However, Chelsea could face stiff competition as the report says fellow Premier League clubs Tottenham and West Ham are also interested in signing the 22-year-old attacker this summer.
Johnson has three years left on his contract with the club so Forest are under no pressure to cash-in this summer and can hold out for a large fee before deciding to sell.
The Welsh forward played a crucial role in helping Steve Cooper’s side escape relegation last season after they finished 16th in the Premier League table, just four points above 18th-placed Leicester City.
He racked up 44 appearances across all competitions, scored 10 goals, and recorded three assists for Nottingham Forest. The versatile attacker was in action for his side in their opening Premier League game against Arsenal last weekend.
Read more: Report: Chelsea accelerate move to sign versatile star after Olise blow, will cost over £30m
