Nottingham Forest will be braced for further interest in Brennan Johnson's services this month, with Brentford keen on signing the winger, according to The Sun.

What's the story?

Johnson has been with Forest since 2009, but has found regular game time in their senior squad tough to find of late.

The winger spent last year's campaign on loan with League One side Lincoln City, and impressed with the Imps, as they finished fifth in the League One table, although his efforts weren't quite enough to see them win promotion into the Championship, after a defeat to Blackpool in the play-off final.

But it appears as though his strong showings whilst out on loan haven't gone unnoticed, with Brentford and Leeds United being named among the clubs interested in landing's Johnson's signature this summer.

The Sun has recently revealed that Brentford are set to make a £6million offer for Johnson, although it remains to be seen as to what Forest's valuation of the midfielder is at this stage.

'Direct', 'A lot of talent'

Johnson hasn't had much of a chance to impress in the Forest first-team, but he has been involved in their pre-season plans, which drops a hint that he could be sticking in Chris Hughton's side heading towards their season opener against Coventry City this weekend.

But with Brentford seemingly not giving up in their efforts to sign the 20-year-old, Forest will know that they have a real battle on their hands to keep Johnson at the City Ground for the foreseeable future.

The Bees are a team that are heading in the right direction, with Thomas Frank's side preparing for life in the Premier League, after winning promotion last term.

Therefore, a move to Brentford might be a tempting proposition for Johnson, but he's probably better off staying with Nottingham Forest, as they're much more likely to be able to offer him regular game time in senior football.

With Sammy Ameobi leaving the club at the end of the 2020/21 season, Forest aren't exactly blessed with a considerable amount of options in midfield, and Johnson will surely fancy his chances of being involved on a regular basis moving forwards into the new season.

Former Sunderland and West Brom forward Kevin Phillips has previously labelled Johnson as 'direct' and a player with 'a lot of talent', in an interview with Football Insider after hearing of Leeds United's interest. 

“He impressed me when he played in the playoff games against Sunderland.

“Especially in that first game. He looked very direct and got the goal so he’s not afraid to get forward. He travels well with the ball and he’s only young."

“He’s definitely got a lot of talent."

It's been a frustrating few seasons for Nottingham Forest, as they've struggled in their efforts to win promotion back into the top-flight, and they need to show their resolve and fend off any interest in their key players, and Johnson is certainly one of them as they head towards the new league campaign.