Nottingham Forest have rebuffed a club-record offer from Brentford for Brennan Johnson, per the Telegraph.
The Bees’ pursuit of the Wales international has persisted for over two years, with the latest bid standing at £40 million.
However, Forest’s steadfast stance has been unwavering, as they value their star player at £50m or more.
This rejection marks the second time Brentford’s advances have been spurned this summer after an initial £30m proposal was shot down on the first day of the transfer window.
Despite the disappointment of their second bid being turned away, Brentford are determined to bolster their ranks following an impressive ninth-placed finish last season.
They have already secured the £23 million acquisition of Nathan Collins from Wolverhampton Wanderers and turned Kevin Schade’s loan into a permanent deal worth around £21 million.
Brentford’s urgency to secure Johnson’s services has intensified due to the absence of their talismanic forward, Ivan Toney, who is serving an eight-month suspension for breaching betting rules set by the Football Association.
Forest’s reluctance to part ways with their homegrown gem is evident. However, they may find it hard to resist an offer surpassing the £50m mark, considering the potential consequences of financial rule breaches.
Amidst the transfer drama, Johnson is diligently recovering from an ankle injury sustained while playing for Wales.
Forest fans eagerly await his return to training next week as he inches closer to full fitness for the upcoming season.
Manager Steve Cooper remains optimistic about Johnson’s return to action. He said: “Brennan is making decent progress in terms of the plan for his recovery.
“We are hoping that he’ll be back training with us next week at some stage, so that’s good.”
Brentford may try their luck with a third bid for Johnson. Forest’s refusal to let him go for a record-breaking transfer fee has been impressive, but a £50m offer could be too good to ignore.
