== ready to break transfer record for £50m-rated Brennan Johnson

The Bees, along with Villa and several unnamed clubs, continue to chas the 22-year-old after having a club-record £30m bid rejected last month. They first had an offer turned down for him in January 2022.

Forest insist Johnson, who is under contract until 2026, remains part of their plans but his suitors believe they can drive down the asking price to £40m.

The Bees have several attacking options, including Kevin Schade, bought for a club-record fee of £20million last month, their previous club-record signing Keane Lewis-Potter, plus Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa.

Brentford have also signed goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Freiburg as David Raya faces an uncertain future.

Any sale will be unpopular at the City Ground but Forest will be tempted to balance the books after spending £150m on 27 players last season, putting them among the top five spenders in world football.

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Latest Che Adams transfer updates: Nottingham Forest, Wolves rumours persist, Everton join race

All the latest transfer news surrounding Southampton’s Che Adams.

Che Adams could be one Southampton player heading for the exit door this summer following relegation to the Championship.

The Saints have returned to the second tier after over a decade of Premier League football, having finished bottom of the top-flight in 2022/23.

There has been a managerial change at St. Mary’s, with Ruben Selles departing for Reading and Southampton filling the vacated position with Swansea City’s Russell Martin.

 

 

Plans have already begun on improving the squad for Martin this summer and preparing themselves for a second tier campaign, in which they will be targeting an immediate return to the Premier League next season.

One player who may not be part of that promotion push is Adams, with the Scottish international expected to leave this summer after falling out of favour at the club and only having one year left on his current deal.

The forward has worked his way through non-league football with the likes of Ilkeston, and had to bide his time to shine at Sheffield United and Birmingham City before getting his opportunity to play Premier League football with So

The 27-year-old joined the Saints in July 2019 from Birmingham City and has gone on to score 31 times in 145 appearances.

Adams had been an important member of the Southampton team in his four seasons at the club, but last season he found himself in and out of the starting XI for various reasons.