“They may end up accepting closer to £10m” – What can Nottingham Forest demand for forward amid Newcastle interest? The verdict

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Nottingham Forest will be gearing up for a tough summer retaining Brennan Johnson if they don’t win promotion to the Premier League.  

The 20-year-old has been superb for Forest this season in the Championship, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists.

Steve Cooper’s side are eyeing a place in the play-offs and then the Premier League, but know there will be intense interest in Johnson if they don’t fulfil that given he is approaching the last 12 months of his deal.

As per a report from The Daily Mail, there’s interest from Newcastle United in Johnson as they plan a busy summer.

Our writers discuss what Nottingham Forest might be able to demand in terms of a fee if Newcastle come knocking:

Marcus Ally

Unless they win promotion to the Premier League, Forest will have to sell Brennan Johnson this summer if they are not able to extend his contract.

The Welshman certainly has the ability to play in the Premier League and Newcastle can be charged a premium due to their financial muscle.

Forest can push for around £15 million in the summer, but with the risk that his value depreciates significantly if they hold onto him until January.

They may end up accepting closer to £10 million, the Magpies can afford to pay at least £15 million for his services.

If he had an extra year on his contract we could be talking £25 million and more but entering the final year of it next season puts Forest in a difficult position if they remain a second tier club.

Toby Wilding

It could be argued that somewhere in the region of