Everton are interested in signing Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson and the Welshman could prove the perfect tonic to recapture the Goodison Park hearts once again.
The 22-year-old, dubbed “wonderful” by his international boss Rob Page, enjoyed a tremendous first season in the English top-flight, helping his club to Premier League safety as well as scoring eight goals and registering three assists in 38 games.
Everton are no strangers to the talented and rapid forward having been linked with him last year, with the club reportedly ready to seal a £20m move after Forest completed their playoff final exploits in 2022 [Daily Mail, 27 May].
And according to the Daily Mail [6 June], Everton face a battle with West Ham for the Welsh international, with Forest valuing their starman at £40m should any bids be placed this summer.
The Blues are keen to reinforce their squad during Sean Dyche’s first summer in charge and have identified Johnson as a potential new addition to strengthen their squad.
£40m may be a lot of money for Everton to exploit during the off-season, given their financial difficulties and the investment in their brand new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium development.
However, when a player stacked with Johnson’s tremendous and electric qualities becomes available for such a figure, Premier League teams will be silly not to take a chance on him.
Given Everton’s desperate need for attacking reinforcements and reinvigorating this summer, acquiring Johnson’s services may prove the perfect tonic to get the Goodison Park faithful onside again.
The Toffees have been associated with drab and useless attacking signings for too long, with Neal Maupay, Dele Alli, Bernard, Moise Kean and Davy Klaasen just a number of examples of Everton shelling out money on players who weren’t ready to take the Everton pressure by the scruff of the neck.
That lack of ambition in the market needs to be changed rather quickly with the Everton fanbase desperately losing patience over the kind of signings being made.
Dyche had proven an unfortunate victim of that incompetence, being forced to rely on Dwight McNeil, Alex Iwobi and the inconsistent Demarai Gray in order to get the Toffees over the line in their quest for Premier League survival, and the former Burnley manager overcame all the odds. Imagine what he could do with better-attacking options at his disposal.
In Johnson, the 22-year-old would be an instant hit inside Goodison Park and would represent the kind of addition that could revive their flamboyant exploits in the Premier League again.
Fans demand excitement once again, when was the last time Everton possessed a player well-versed in galvanising the atmosphere by lifting bums off seats? Johnson is certainly that calibre of player, having done so on numerous occasions for Forest as they successfully battled against the drop.
The Forest hitman possesses such electric pace, sublime dribbling qualities, and the ability to drive his team up the pitch in transition, but also consistently proving a decisive figure in the final third – such capabilities Dyche simply loves to have in his team.
The wonderful Welshman holds all the hallmarks to become a leading figure at Everton and is the kind of signing Dyche needs in order to usher Everton into a new era once again.
