An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their plans to make further additions to the playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?
According to Football Insider, the Villans have registered their interest in signing Nottingham Forest attacker Brennan Johnson, as Unai Emery plots a fourth addition of the summer transfer window.
Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby, and Youri Tielemans have all been brought in on permanent deals so far and the Wales international is now said to be a 'big' target for the club.
Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…
The report states that Premier League rivals Brentford are also keen on a swoop for the 22-year-old whiz and are set to make a third bid for his services, having already seen two turned down by Steve Cooper's side.
Football Insider claim that Forest would not consider any offers of less than £40m for the former Championship starlet, although it remains to be seen how much Villa are prepared to shell out to land his signature.
How good is Brennan Johnson?
The £30k-per-week dynamo proved himself to be capable of making a significant impact at Premier League level during his debut campaign in the division last season.
He has the ability to be a match-winner from the flank at the top level and could improve Emery's options out wide, which is why the news of the club's interest in him is terrible news for Leon Bailey and his future at Villa Park.
Since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2021, the Jamaica international has scored five goals and provided six assists in 51 top-flight outings across two seasons.
This means that he has averaged one direct goal contribution every 4.64 matches to date, which shows that the 25-year-old flop has not been a consistent performer at the top end of the pitch.
Johnson, on the other hand, scored eight goals and assisted three in 38 Premier League games last term, which came after the exciting youngster managed 16 goals and ten assists across 46 Championship clashes the previous year.
The Forest attacker has, therefore, averaged a goal involvement every 3.45 matches in the top division, after one every 1.77 appearances during his side's promotion-winning campaign.
These statistics suggest that Johnson, who was once hailed as "electric" by journalist Rob Phillips, would provide Emery with an immediate upgrade on Bailey due to his ability to make things happen in the final third, which could restrict the 25-year-old dud's game time next season.
At the age of 22, the Welsh maestro is also three years younger than the former Bundesliga ace and, therefore, come in with more long-term potential to go along with having the proven Premier League quality to hit the ground running over the coming months.
Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr are reportedly interested in signing Bailey and the arrival of Johnson could be the perfect move for Villa to allow them to sanction an exit as they would improve their team and provide the head coach with a talented young player who has the scope to develop further over the years to come.