Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson is reportedly more open to a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur than he is Chelsea.
The Wales international spent his first season in the Premier League during 2022-23, contributing eight goals and three assists from his 38 appearances.
With Forest looking to strengthen their squad and Johnson possessing a contract until 2026, Johnson appeared at one stage to likely remain at the City Ground.
However, widespread interest in his signature could change that perception, with Forest allegedly open to a £50m sale.
Numerous clubs have been linked with the 22-year-old, with the first of those being Brentford who have seemingly moved their attention elsewhere having seen at least one offer rebuffed.
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Aston Villa have also been credited as admirers of Johnson and a move may become a possibility if they generate in excess of over £30m through the sales of Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer, both of whom are academy graduates.
Nevertheless, Spurs and Chelsea are seemingly at the front of the queue on the basis that they are in the market for attacking reinforcements before the September 1 deadline.
According to the Daily Mail, Johnson would prefer a transfer to Spurs if it became a battle between the two London rivals.
The report suggests that Johnson feels that he would earn more game time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than he would at Stamford Bridge.
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Spurs require a replacement for Harry Kane, who has signed for Bayern Munich, with Richarlison not regarded as the long-term number nine despite starting both of their 2023-24 Premier League fixtures.
Although Johnson does not have a goalscoring record that is comparable to Kane's, his versatility in the final third may prove to be an asset for head coach Ange Postecoglou.
From Chelsea's perspective, they are also lacking an experienced goalscorer, yet Johnson would provide a different option for Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine has indicated that he is prepared to rely on Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja down the middle, but an alternative to that particular duo would be regarded as a bonus and allow Mason Burstow to go on loan to the Championship.
Darren Plant
