Premier League side Brentford are preparing an improved offer for Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson and will submit this fresh bid very shortly, according to The Sun's Alan Nixon.

20-year-old Johnson was shipped out on loan to Michael Appleton's Lincoln City last season after only make a handful of appearances for the East Midlands side but impressed for the Imps.

In League One, he scored 10 goals and recorded 12 assists in 40 third-tier outings and playing a part in all three play-off games as they were narrowly beaten by Blackpool in the play-off final.

This sparkling season in Lincolnshire has alerted many teams to his talent according to a previous report from the Independent.

And with Brentford's promotion to the top flight, the Bees are one of the sides leading the race for him with their increased spending power and status.

In September 2019, Forest moved to tie the winger down to a long-term contract at the City Ground, although the length of this deal remains undisclosed at this stage.

How long he has left on his contract may depend on the negotiating stance the Championship take with the 20-year-old, especially considering their poor record in front of goal last season.

Only arch-rivals Derby County had a worse attacking record in the second tier last season, with Chris Hughton's side scoring a woeful 37 goals in 46 Championship games and consigning them to a disappointing 17th-place finish because of that.

Because of this, they will be reluctant to let go of the promising youngster but if they receive a tempting offer that gives them a major chance to make multiple signings before the summer window closes, there's every chance he could move on this summer, much to the disappointment of Forest fans.

At least one bid has said to have been made for Johnson this summer with multiple top-flight sides monitoring the situation - and they will be receiving one more shortly if Alan Nixon's tweet is anything to go by.

The Verdict:

This is a major dilemma for Chris Hughton, because the winger will feel like a new signing for the club after spending last season out on loan. His creativity, ability to play across the attacking midfield area and threat out wide could help to solve their goalscoring woes.

They may have been linked with a move for striker Sandro Kulenovic, a promising move as they look to bolster their attack, but he will need adequate service to thrive and Johnson could potentially provide that.

On the other hand, the EFL's profit and sustainability rules mean Hughton is limited in what he can do and they shouldn't turn down a huge offer for Johnson, especially with a left-back crisis to potentially address and other key areas to focus on before the window closes at the end of next month.

But they will need to see the details of this improved offer first before they can make a real judgement on what to do. They shouldn't accept any form of cut-price deal with Brentford now able to spend more in the Premier League.