Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper insists speculation surrounding Brennan Johnson’s future is not affecting the young winger

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has insisted that the speculation surrounding the future of young winger Brennan Johnson is not affecting the player. Both Chelsea and Tottenham have been rumoured to be interested in the 22-year-old, who enjoyed a promising first campaign in the Premier League last season.

Brentford had a club-record bid of £35million rejected earlier this summer, while Chelsea are thought to be keen but have so far balked at Forest’s mammoth asking price of £50m. Spurs are the latest club to be linked with a move and are hoping to use some of their fringe players in part-exchange to lower the overall value of the transfer.

Cooper on Johnson’s Future

Forest head coach Cooper is unaware of any fresh bid from Tottenham for the Wales international but says Johnson continues to train diligently, while he shut down suggestions the academy product might hand in a transfer request.

Asked if there had been any further bids for Johnson, Cooper replied at a press conference on Thursday: ‘I’m not sure, I don’t deal with that. I just deal with Brennan day-to-day. We’re talking a lot at the moment, but they’re normal conversations about performance and development and everything else that goes round him being at his best – or aiming to be at his best. That’s our plan and that’s what we do. And if we get told at some stage that things change – not just with him, with any of the players – then we’ll deal with it then.

Asked if the speculation has affected Johnson at all, or if he has asked to leave Forest, Cooper continued: ‘No. Like I said, we don’t really have those discussions. We talk about everything but mainly football, performance, the last game, the next game, what we want to get out of the week and the individual work that we do with him. And not just him, everybody else. One thing is for sure, Brennan loves his football whether it’s training or matches and that’s a big strength of his so that’s just where our focus is really.’

Johnson’s Impressive Season

Johnson netted eight Premier League goals last season and is on the radar of a host of clubs. He is highly rated by Cooper and the Forest boss believes he still has a lot more to give.

The speculation surrounding Johnson’s future is unlikely to die down anytime soon, with the transfer window closing in just over a week’s time. It remains to be seen if he will be making a late switch before the window closes.

Conclusion

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has insisted that speculation surrounding Brennan Johnson’s future is not affecting the young winger. Both Chelsea and Tottenham have been linked with a move for Johnson, who enjoyed a promising first campaign in the Premier League last season. It remains to be seen if Johnson will make a late switch before the transfer window closes.

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