Chelsea step up interest in Nottingham Forest talent

Chelsea will be searching for their first win of the season when they play West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Blues were held to a 1-1 draw at home in their season opener against Liverpool, despite dominating possession for most of the game.

Despite dominating in their first competitive game of the season under new boss Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea have remained active in the transfer market to bolster their squad and improve their first team.

Since the match against Liverpool, the West London outfit have confirmed the £115m transfer of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo and have agreed to an initial £53m deal with Southampton for Romeo Lavia.

Even with those deals over the line, the Blues do not seem to be finished in this transfer window.

Reports claimed that Chelsea triggered the release clause of Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise in a bid to add some more creativity to their side.

However, it was recently confirmed that Olise has instead chosen to sign a new 4-year contract extension at the Eagles instead of making the switch to SW6.

Therefore, Chelsea are now looking at alternative options to the France U21 international.

According to 90min.com, Chelsea have stepped up their interest in Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson.

The report claims that Chelsea had the Welshman on their radar even before targeting Olise but have decided to set up their interest since their move for the Palace winger fell through.

Chelsea have stepped up their interest in Brennan Jonson after their Olise deal fell through.

Johnson, 22, has made 106 total appearances for Nottingham Forest’s senior team after rising through their youth ranks and enjoying a loan spell at Lincoln City.

The 22-year-old has attracted interest from potential suitors after a remarkable season in the Premier League, which played a crucial part in Forest’s survival last season.

Johnson featured in all 38 Premier League games for the Reds and netted eight goals whilst also notching up three assists.

The forward is contracted to the club until 2026, allowing Forest to hold out for bids of at least £50m to consider selling the Welshman.