Steve Cooper responds to Chelsea’s interest in signing Brennan Johnson

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Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has responded to Chelsea’s interest in signing Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson.

Asked if there had been any further bids for Johnson, Cooper replied at a press conference on Thursday: “I’m not sure, I don’t deal with that. I just deal with Brennan day-to-day.

“We’re talking a lot at the moment, but they’re normal conversations about performance and development and everything else that goes round him being at his best – or aiming to be at his best.

“That’s our plan and that’s what we do. And if we get told at some stage that things change – not just with him, with any of the players – then we’ll deal with it then.

“But I can imagine there is speculation around Brennan. I don’t pay attention to it myself.

“He’s a really talented young player and the exciting bit is that he’s got a lot more to come as well.

“We love working with him as a player, we love him as a boy and, like I say, day-to-day we’re really enjoying continuing to work with him and everybody else.”

Asked if the speculation has affected Johnson at all, or if he has asked to leave Forest, Cooper continued: “No. Like I said, we don’t really have those discussions.

“We talk about everything but mainly football, performance, the last game, the next game, what we want to get out of the week and the individual work that we do with him.

“And not just him, everybody else. One thing is for sure, Brennan loves his football whether it’s training or matches and that’s a big strength of his so that’s just where our focus is really.”