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Nottingham Forest have been dealt a blow in their bid to keep Brennan Johnson at the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alan Nixon’s report for The Sun on Sunday (via The 72), with the journalist claiming that Brentford are set to make a fresh bid of £6m for the versatile Forest winger.

The Bees were reported to have already seen an offer of £3.5m turned down for the 20-year-old this summer, with Dane Murphy’s side believed to be demanding a fee between £8m and £10m in order to part with the Wales international.

It is also claimed that the new Forest CEO is planning to offer the forward a new deal at the City Ground in an attempt to dampen the interest in his services, although no progress in these contract talks has been reported as yet.

Forest fans will be gutted

While Brentford’s potential offer for Johnson still falls a little short of Nottingham Forest’s reported asking price, the fact that the Premier League side are getting closer to lodging an acceptable bid for the 20-year-old could have left Forest fans gutted.

With there now being just £2m of a difference between the Bees’ bid and the £8m figure at which Forest are reportedly willing to begin negotiations, this is a gap which would appear to be relatively easy to close for Thomas Frank’s side.

Considering just how much raw talent Johnson quite clearly possesses, should Murphy indeed go on to sanction his sale this summer, it would not bode well for Nottingham Forest’s Championship aspirations this season.

Indeed, over his 43 League One appearances while on loan with Lincoln City last term, the £360k-rated man bagged 11 goals, registered 12 assists and created four big chances for his teammates, taking 2.3 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the man Sabri Lamouchi dubbed an “unbelievable” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking the £2.5k-per-week winger as Michael Appleton’s sixth-best performer in the third tier last season.

As such, the addition of the 20-year-old to Chris Hughton’s first team squad ahead of 2021/22 would very much look to provide the Reds with an injection of both goals and assists, something they were desperately lacking last time out.

However, with Brentford’s interest in Johnson not likely to go away any time soon, whether or not Forest benefit from the youngster’s ability in their upcoming Championship campaign is very much up in the air at present, something which is sure to leave the City Ground faithful on edge.

In other news: Get him gone: Murphy must be ruthless with Forest’s “important” £18k-p/w Lamouchi flop

West Ham United are ready to offer €30m (£25.8m) to land Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenković, as reported by Juve Live (via Sport Witness).

Enjoying a superb 2020/21 campaign, the 6 foot 5 giant registered 37 appearances for La Viola, chipping in with four goal contributions with three goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

Believed to be ‘one step away from West Ham’, the Irons are now ready to offer a considerable sum to tempt the Serbian international to the London Stadium this summer. Italian giants Juventus are also recently said to have an interest in the 23-year-old defender [Juve Live, via Sport Witness].

However, the Irons look set to be in pole position to land what would be a marquee signing as they kickstart their recruitment drive moving into 2021/22.

Unsurprisingly given his height, Milenkovic offers a powerful aerial presence, winning three headers per match last season [WhoScored]. Only Tomas Soucek could beat that among David Moyes’ current squad [WhoScored].

In light of these recent developments, plenty of West Ham diehards took to Twitter to express their delight at the latest update.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to Sport Witness’ Twitter account, here is how some Hammers fans summarised their opinions on the latest news on Milenkovic, with one believing that it could be a potentially “huge” development:

“What a signing this would be”

Credit: @whuabz

“Huge if true”

Credit: @AnthonyDRegan1″Please God”Credit: @1999_JRD”the wait for this Patreon update is so so long, please be true”Credit: @whujoe”Please”Credit: @willearle_”The next Vidic”Credit: @CarslakeTaylorIn other news, a La Liga expert talks up the ability of a reported West Ham target.

David Wagner is edging ever-closer to being announced as the new West Bromwich Albion manager, according to The Athletic.

Three weeks after Sam Allardyce elected to leave the Hawthorns following Premier League relegation, Wagner has emerged as a serious candidate to replace the former England boss after almost a year in exile following his Schalke exit [The Athletic].

Coming as a surprise to many, the German-American head coach has come out of nowhere after links with Chris Wilder, Michael Appleton and even former Chelsea captain Frank Lampard [GIVEMESPORT].

As pre-season rolls around the corner, West Bromwich Albion are set to formalise an appointment of a manager within the next few days; potentially within the next 48 hours [Sky Sports].

Enduring an underwhelming spell in Gelsenkirchen, it’s no wonder loads of Baggies fans have took to Twitter to fume at these latest developments.

Baggies fans react:

Here are how some of the West Brom support summarised their feelings upon hearing the news:

“Nooooooooooo”

Credit: @NickAston6

“Kill me now.”

Credit: @luke_millichamp

“Lukewarm is very generous. More like mortified !!!!”Credit: @GrahamCroom”Should have been Appleton for me.”Credit: @seanmcsport”Depressing appointment #Wba”Credit: @itsocheagain”Was a bit of a busted flush at Huddersfield and then was a total disaster at Schalke. Like the bloke though so hope it works out for him.”Credit: @Smashyeggman71In other news, a Leeds United defender has agreed an exit from Elland Road.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Udinese midfielder Rodrigo de Paul as Jurgen Klopp looks to rebuild his first-team squad this summer.

What’s the story?

The 27-year-old has impressed throughout his time in Serie A and was heavily courted by fellow Premier League outfit Leeds United 12 months ago.

However, De Paul ended up remaining at the Stadio Friuli, with his standout displays attracting the attention of Jurgen Klopp, according to Italian outlet FC Inter News.

Liverpool must swoop

The report claims that Liverpool have asked Mino Raiola for information on his client as the upcoming transfer window approaches, although they’re expected to face competition from Inter, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Leeds for his signature.

A fee of around £35m is expected to be enough to prize the Argentina international away from Udinese over the coming months, and his former manager Julio Velazquez was full of praise for the creative talent last year.

“His strength is intelligence on and off the pitch. On the pitch, he knows best what space to occupy and how to do it,” Velazquez told Gazetta Dello Sport (as reported by TuttoMercatoWeb).

“On an extra level, however, he understood how Udinese would have been the best place for him to grow. He lacks absolutely nothing, he could play in any club in the world.

“He has also improved on the defensive level, and in attack, he improves the team.”

De Paul didn’t let the collapse of his proposed move to Elland Road last summer slow him down, bagging nine goals and providing 11 assists in 38 appearances for Luca Gotti’s men.

The South American was pivotal to everything his side did in the attacking third, recording the most dribbles per league game (3.4) amongst his teammates, the most key passes (2.3) and the second-highest shots per league game with 2.3.

His arrival at Anfield could be the perfect replacement for the departing Gini Wijnaldum after the Dutch international joined Paris Saint-Germain following five incredible years on Merseyside.

Several names have been linked with Liverpool following the 30-year-old’s exit, but De Paul would be a perfect fit and bring bags of excitement to the Reds’ line-up.

The club’s hierarchy must swoop for Udinese wizard as Klopp attempts to return Liverpool to the summit of English football before another top team shows their hand.

And, in other news…LFC heading for huge transfer mistake over £27m-rated liability, Edwards must avoid 

Manchester City appear set to spend big this summer with key targets Harry Kane and Jack Grealish potentially costing more than a combined total of £200 million, so moving players on will have to be done and Dean Windass believes that Riyad Mahrez could be one of those to leave.

There have been reports suggesting that the Gunners may move for the Algerian winger who impressed for Man City last season, especially in the Champions League games against both PSG and Borussia Dortmund.

Mahrez made a name for himself during Leicester City’s title-winning campaign which saw him have a stunning season netting 12 goals and registering 11 assists, and he eventually got his move away to Man City where he has won eight pieces of silverware.

Arsenal are making a lot of positives moves this summer and it is needed as they struggled last campaign when they missed out on European football for the first time in 25 years so, adding someone like Mahrez could change their fortunes and he may be tempted to join the Gunners according to Windass, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“Going to Arsenal would appeal to him but, I can’t see Pep letting him go as he scores a lot of goals from wide areas and even if Grealish goes to Man City, I can’t see him leaving.”

The Gunners are trying to turn themselves into serious challengers at the top end of the table once again with moves for both Ben White and Manuel Locatelli already looking like they could happen this summer.

The £120,000 per week winger would add world class quality to an Arsenal side who often relied on their young players last season so having someone of experience and quality would also only help develop players like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Everton striker Marcus Bent does not believe his old side would turn down an £80m bid for star man Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

There is nothing to suggest that Calvert-Lewin wants to leave Everton, with the 24-year-old looking right at home after a prolific season at Goodison Park.

However, with Harry Kane’s future at Tottenham currently uncertain, some have touted Calvert-Lewin as a potential replacement. And for £80m, Bent thinks it would be hard for the Merseyside club to say no.

“Speaking to the club, his game’s come on leaps and bounds since the start of the season,” Bent told FFC as he discussed Calvert-Lewin’s rise during the 2020/21 campaign.

“If they can keep him, they can keep him. But turning down £80m, I think for any club to turn down £80m is hard, to be honest, especially Everton.”

Giving the season he has just had, scoring over 20 goals in all competitions, it probably would not be a surprise to see Tottenham move for Calvert-Lewin if they do end up losing his England team-mate this summer.

A transfer to Spurs right now, however, may not be the most appealing option after they once again missed out on Champions League qualification after coming seventh. In fact, the north London club only actually finished three points above Everton this term.

Crystal Palace ended their four-match winless run in the Premier League on Saturday with a 2-0 success over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

It looked as though Christian Benteke’s early goal was initially going to be enough for the three points before Eberechi Eze converted late on to seal the victory.

The winger, who eventually proved to be the match-winner for the Eagles in Yorkshire, was an inspiration for Roy Hodgson’s men throughout the evening. He was key in the first goal as Benteke converted as his jinking run and wonderful pass presented the Belgian with the chance to open the scoring.

He then sealed the points with a late goal of his own – just the second match in the Premier League in which he has contributed to more than one goal since his move from Queens Park Rangers last summer.

His contributions did not end there, though. According to WhoScored, he had three shots, one of those finding the back of the net.

The 22-year-old also contributed a further three key passes. Only midfielder Luka Milivojevic racked up more in that respect of the players taking to the pitch for the Eagles.

Eze was excellent when on the ball, too, displaying his wonderful dribbling ability on a number of occasions. He completed five dribbles throughout the 90 minutes, the most in the entire Crystal Palace line-up.

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It goes without saying that the hosts then could simply not control him. They did eventually find a way to halt him, though, and that was to bring him down. In the end, Eze won five fouls throughout the game, as many as the rest of the Crystal Palace side put together.

Having been hailed as “impressive” in the past by Jamie Redkapp, Hodgson will surely be delighted with the winger’s latest display for the Eagles.

AND in more news, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for a Bundesliga star…

After seeing him come off the bench to score twice against Burnley at the weekend, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be very keen to see how Rodrigo fares if given the chance to start this evening at Southampton.

The Spaniard was outstanding in his cameo at Turf Moor, scoring twice off the bench, and the summer signing will be hoping to be rewarded with his first start in the Premier League since returning from injury.

However, with the season now reaching its climax, and Leeds having nothing much left to play for, it’s surely time for Bielsa to consider unleashing some of the club’s standout under-23 players, who recently clinched the Premier League 2 Division 2 title.

Top of that list would no doubt have been Joe Gelhardt, but he missed the under-23s’ final two games with injury, despite Mark Jackson insisting that it wouldn’t be too long before he returned.

However, in Crysencio Summerville, Bielsa could unleash one of Leeds’ hottest young prospects, with the Dutchman having been in scintillating form for the youth teams this season.

Described as a “bag of tricks” by Chris Powell – his former coach when he was a teenager at Dutch side ADO Den Haag – he scored a hat-trick against Burnley on just his second start for the under-23s earlier this campaign.

He has since bagged an impressive six goals and provided a further six assists in just 12 Premier League 2 games, including netting in the final game of the season.

The 19-year-old is an exciting winger who can play on either flank, and while he might be diminutive in stature at just 5 foot 9, he more than makes up for it with his quick feet and agility.

Summerville himself said earlier this year: “I often hear that there are doubts because of my physical condition, but when you are on the field, you are not concerned with that. There are often big defenders in front of me, I have to be smart about that. I know I’m agile and try to play with my mind.”

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While Rodrigo is the man of the moment and should be looking forward to a start tonight against the Saints at St Mary’s, Summerville will also be desperate to get his opportunity to shine, and a relatively low-stakes game like this could be the ideal setting for him to get his senior Whites debut.

Meanwhile, a journalist has dropped a major Leeds United update…

West Bromwich Albion are not considering a move to appoint Rafael Benitez at The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claimed that the Spaniard has not been considered for the vacant managerial position at The Hawthorns despite the 61-year-old currently being without a job after leaving Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional back in January.

Fans will be furious

Considering just how successful Benitez has been in his long managerial career, reports that the Baggies’ hierarchy have not approached the Spaniard about taking over from Sam Allardyce this summer is somewhat baffling, and it’s a development which must be infuriating to West Brom fans.

Indeed, in addition to having won an astonishing amount of trophies, including La Liga, the Champions League, UEFA Cup, Europa League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup and Coppa Italia, Benitez also has a proven track record of hauling a team out of the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League.

After dropping down to the second tier in 2016, he stuck with Newcastle United, guiding them to the Championship title at the first time of asking – winning 29, drawing seven and losing 10 games in the 2016/17 season, picking up a grand total of 94 points.

Subsequently, despite the rather stingy ownership of Mike Ashley, Benitez then went on to establish the Magpies as a solid Premier League side once again, securing a top-half finish in the club’s first season back in the top flight before a further mid-table finish in the 2018/19 campaign.

As such, exactly why West Brom are not believed to be considering a move to appoint the former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli manager at The Hawthorns this summer is rather confusing. He would appear to be an excellent candidate to ensure that the Baggies return to the top table of English football as quickly as possible, as well as comfortably keeping them up in subsequent years.

In other news: West Brom handed transfer boost over “fantastic” £8m beast that’ll have fans buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur could make a move for Danny Ings this summer, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Eurosport’s Dean Jones claims the north London outfit are closely monitoring the 28-year-old ahead of the transfer window reopening and that they still hope to sign him from Southampton.

It’s not the first time that Ings has been linked with a move to Spurs, and back in January, Charlie Austin – his former teammate at both the Saints and Burnley – claimed the £18m-rated forward would be a good fit at the club.

Speaking on talkSPORT (via the Daily Echo), he said: “I think it would be a good fit,” before adding: “He just brings much more to the team as well, his all-round game is second to none and the goals just put him in the right direction. There is no surprise he is linked with a club like Tottenham.”

Spurs’ next Keane?

Given the dubious future of Harry Kane at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a move for a proven Premier League goalscorer like Ings could be a wise decision from Daniel Levy and co.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, there is a possibility the England skipper departs this summer. He revealed: “Some of those people have described Kane’s desire to me as ‘desperate to leave’. Now, I don’t want people to take that out of context, it’s not that he’s deeply distraught to be at Spurs.”

Now, Ings will be 29 by the time the transfer market opens again ahead of next season, but history tells us that Spurs have a decent record when it comes to buying proven talent, such as Robbie Keane, who joined the club for a second time aged 28.

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Both had been tried and tested in the English top-flight and both are known for their ability to press from the front, so there are plenty of similarities to be had.

In fact, this is exactly the comparison Clinton Morrison made to talkSPORT last summer. “I used to play with a striker who played exactly like Ings [and that’s] Robbie Keane,” he said. “I look at the way Ings plays and his movement is first class.”

Ings has scored 52 times in 135 Premier League appearances, which is a rate of one goal every two and a half matches, and that is a very respectable return.

Whilst Kane is a more all-rounded centre-forward, the fellow Englishman does have attributes that’ll please Mourinho – “He presses really well, he’s hard-working,” explained Martin Keown. “Danny Ings has been outstanding.” That merely ehoed the thoughts of his manager, Ralph Hassenhuttl, who dubbed him “unbelievable” to the BBC after lockdown last year.

After all, the last signing from the Saints went down pretty well, so why not look to trust their development once again? Ings may not be Kane, but he could well become Spurs’ next Keane.

If push comes to shove, Levy must strike and splash out on Ings.

AND in other news, Spurs’ £18m-rated summer target wants the move, Levy must strike…