Brennan Johnson - What's He Worth? - the Nottingham Sport

Does Brennan Johnson have a “monetary value” this season for other clubs to exploit?

Every player has a value, so they say; Brennan Johnson is, without a doubt, one of the Premier League’s hottest prospects, at just 22-years old, already representing both his boyhood club, and his nation: Wales. In the last week however, Brentford have made an attempt to sign the player from Nottingham Forest, but a bid of £30m was rejected. Of course, it raises questions about the price for Brennan Johnson, but also what players similar to him cost in today’s football market – if other players can sell for £45m+, why can’t Brennan? Lots of questions, so here is my take:

Who is Brennan Johnson, and what is he actually worth?

Born in Nottingham, England, but with Welsh descendants, Brennan Johnson is a talented forward, who plays for Premier League side Nottingham Forest, and was an integral part in Forest’s promotion to the Premier League in 2022, having contributed 18 goals & 10 assists in what was considered his first real chance with the First Team. Since then, while the first Premier League season for Brennan Johnson started fairly quietly, he found his shooting boots once more, and scored some of, arguably, Forest’s most important goals this year. The two strikes to beat Leicester, the cracker to finish Leeds, the brace to draw with Everton – out of the eight goals he scored, these five goals absolutely crucial – take them away, and Forest would have likely accumulated just 2 points from the games above – crucial goals, from a crucial character.

It’s quite evident that Nottingham Forest have needed the goals that Johnson has given to the side – 24.6% of Forest’s goals in 21/22 came from him, 21% of the goals for the Reds in 22/23 came from him – undeniably a force, and important to Forest, so what effect does this have on his value?

A player’s “value” is so hard to determine, especially for someone without the knowledge of the club’s valuation, and what other clubs are willing to pay – but we can have our own determinations, and given other instances within the market, there is cause for Brennan Johnson being worth over £45m. Anthony Gordon is a widely used example – once touted for a £60m move to Chelsea, he instead joined Newcastle United for a £45m fee, but has registered just one goal for the toon this season, and three before that while still playing for Everton. The season before, he bagged just six goal contributions. Gordon is a talent, and has potential, but if his value is £45m after getting 10 goal contributions in two seasons in the Premier League, what is Johnson worth after 11 goal contributions in his first ever season in the same division?

Goals & Assists might not necessarily be the only factors determining a players value, versatility is another, but they are major factors – surely given these, Brennan is worth way North of the £40m mark?

My Stance, Forest’s stance, and Bidders stance(s)…

The idea that every player has a value, as mentioned before, is absolutely true – and I do believe that if a ‘ridiculous’ offer came in for Johnson, that Forest’s stance might change – offers of £60m perhaps would change things, but the likelihood of seeing a bid worth that? Unlikely. Making such a sum on an academy prospect would of course be beneficial to Forest, but is this short-term injection of cash really worth it in the long-term? In my view, no.

A second season of a Premier League campaign after staving off relegation should be about keeping the “spine” of the squad together, offloading any players that aren’t needed per se, and adding quality in depth – selling Brennan this season would be detrimental, and his value to this side far outweighs the offers that Forest will receive for his services this summer. Brentford’s £30m bid for the Welsh star is almost laughable, to some extent, but is still a club-record bid for Thomas Frank’s side, who have been chasing Brennan for roughly two years now. Throughout the season, Johnson has been played often in a No.9 position, not his strongest position, and has accumulated still over 20% of the side’s goals – now think, if played as a Right-Winger, how much more damage he’d cause for the opposition, and that’s what makes him such a threat. It’s clear why a club like Brentford would want somebody like Brennan Johnson.

Forest will do what’s best for Forest – and with that, I for one can’t see them selling Brennan Johnson this season, and for another couldn’t see Steve Cooper sanctioning such a deal, regardless of the value. The evidence to support such a claim that Forest won’t entertain current bids, is how they’ve described Brentford’s recently rejected £30m bid as “Derisory & Insulting,” as Sky Sports reports.

But, every good story has more than one chapter

You’d be naïve to think that the career of Johnson lies only within the four-stands of the City Ground – everybody would love him to stay at the club for the remainder of his career, I’m sure, but surely at some point that must come to an end?

I’m under absolutely no allusion that every minute of every game is a dream to partake in for Johnson, of whom Forest has been his only permanent team – he loves the club, the fans, and I’m sure that he’s in no rush to leave any time soon after the success of Forest’s recent campaigns, but as it goes with football, while you may not want to see it, the day will come when Brennan leaves Forest, but now is not time for that discussion – his immediate future is at Nottingham Forest.

Every good story does have more than one chapter, absolutely, but this one isn’t over just yet for Brennan Johnson – his importance to this side still major, and his regard within the “ranks” at the club still high. There is no doubt he will go far, but let’s focus on his future at this club, and winning games for his side. The best is still yet to come.