West Ham United are searching deep into their scout reports to find a new attacking midfielder.
The news comes in light of the Irons potentially losing another of their prized assets after Declan Rice's exit earlier this summer.
Who will replace Lucas Paqueta at West Ham?
In an article by The Guardian, West Ham are said to be tracking Mohammed Kudus and Cole Palmer, with Lucas Paqueta keen to join Manchester City.
Also according to the report, the Irons are ‘monitoring’ Nottingham Forest phenom Brennan Johnson, who is also a target for Tottenham Hotspur.
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It is understood it may take a fee of £45m to convince Forest to sell the winger.
Who should Johnson replace Paqueta?
Born in Nottingham, and part of the Forest Academy since 2009, the 5 foot 10 livewire has evolved into one of the club’s brightest and most productive assets.
Johnson’s first professional goal for Forest arrived in a 1-1 draw against fierce local rivals Derby in August 2021, and he hasn’t looked back since.
The forward ended that season as Forest’s top scorer with 19 goals in all competitions, including strikes in both semi-final legs of their successful play-off campaign. As a result, Johnson was named the EFL Championship Young Player of the Season and was rewarded with a new four-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2026.
Johnson continued this impressive form and was an instrumental component of a Forest side that retained their top-flight status.
Last term, across both windows, Steve Cooper’s side signed 30 players, and despite this monumental influx of new faces, Johnson remained an imperative figure. He was the club’s second-top scorer with eight goals as his pace, directness, and effervescence has been troublesome for Premier League sides.
His importance was strongly recognised by Cooper, who said: “Just imagine where we'd be without him. I love working with Brennan.
“He's so committed to be the best he can be and doing well for this club that he absolutely loves and also he's got a talent we need to nurture because it's really helpful to us. He's super talented.”
His national team manager Robert Page described the Welshman as “wonderful” and feels he plays with “freedom.”
From a West Ham perspective, he could be a crucial addition as the club prepares for a third consecutive season of European football and look to source some more attacking depth.
Last term, Johnson appeared as a centre-forward and left-winger, as this positional versatility is a trait that will highly interest David Moyes. Another player who mirrors this attribute is the aforementioned Palmer, who the Irons are looking at to cover for Paqueta’s impending departure.
For the Manchester City senior side, the youngster has made 40 appearances, and appeared in an array of positions, predominantly as a left-winger or just behind the striker. Having scored against Arsenal in the Community Shield, he looks poised for a breakout year, and he could well do that alongside someone as exciting as Johnson.
Although Palmer has started just 12 games in all competitions, the 21-year-old ranks in the top 10% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for shot-creating actions per 90, as well as the best 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90. This, then, has the potential to be a devastating combo for West Ham this season.
Indeed, a season of regular football at a top-flight club would be the perfect way to unlock Palmer’s full potential as he could form a scintillating, interchangeable frontline with Johnson.