Brennan Johnson Linked With Nottingham Forest Return After Difficult Spell at Crystal Palace
3 min read
Brennan Johnson only joined Crystal Palace in January 2026 for a club-record £35 million ($47m), but questions are already being asked about whether the Wales international could make a return to Nottingham Forest this summer.
Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison believes it would be too soon for the Eagles to give up on the winger, although he admits a move back to Forest cannot be completely ruled out as major changes approach at Selhurst Park.
Johnson Struggling to Replicate Tottenham Form
Johnson arrived at Palace after helping Tottenham end their 17-year trophy drought by scoring the winning goal in the Europa League final against Manchester United. He also finished the 2024/25 campaign as Spurs’ top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions.
However, despite that strong season in North London, the 24-year-old found consistent starts increasingly difficult to secure, which eventually led to his move across the capital.
So far, the transfer has not worked out as planned. Johnson has failed to score in 25 appearances for Palace, with his confidence and attacking output appearing to decline significantly.
He could still finish the season with European silverware, though, as Palace prepare to face Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final.
Morrison Believes Johnson Needs Confidence Restored
Speaking to GOAL in an interview conducted through Freebets.com, Morrison said he still believes Johnson has the quality to succeed but feels the winger is currently struggling badly with confidence.
“I don’t know because he’s only just gone there, hasn’t he?” Morrison said when asked whether Palace could consider selling Johnson this summer.
“He just looks so short of confidence at the moment and nowhere near the level you saw at Tottenham, where he was their top goalscorer and scored in the Europa League final.
“When you saw him at Nottingham Forest, he was taking on full-backs and playing with confidence. At the moment, it looks like his confidence has been shot.”
Morrison added that Palace’s next manager will need to work closely with Johnson in order to help him rediscover his best form.
“I think there’s a player in there,” he continued. “I don’t think Palace would sell him after just a few months, but the new manager needs to work with him, coach him and restore his confidence.”
Nottingham Forest Return Could Appeal
Crystal Palace are expected to appoint a new manager this summer following Oliver Glasner’s departure, with the Austrian hoping to leave the club after adding another trophy to their recent FA Cup and Community Shield success.
Morrison also acknowledged that a return to Nottingham Forest could make sense for Johnson if the opportunity arose.
“If Forest decide to go down that route and have the money to bring Brennan Johnson back home, then why wouldn’t Palace consider it?” Morrison explained.
“Sometimes a club just feels like home for a player, and that’s what Forest was for him. He was outstanding there and that’s what earned him the move to Tottenham.”
Johnson scored 29 goals for Forest and helped the club win promotion back to the Premier League before leaving for Spurs in 2023.
Morrison believes the winger’s current struggles have also been made harder by inconsistent playing time.
“It’s difficult as a player when you’re coming on for 10 or 20 minutes and trying to build momentum,” he added. “Personally, I’d like him to stay at Palace and make it work, but if he got the chance to return to Forest, you could understand why he’d want to go because that’s his club.”
Forest Still Missing Elanga’s Pace
Johnson remains under contract at Palace until 2030, meaning any club interested in signing him would likely need to pay a significant fee despite his difficult spell.
Nottingham Forest are also still searching for greater pace and attacking threat in wide areas after selling Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United in 2025 and failing to properly replace the Swedish winger.
Given Johnson’s previous success at the City Ground, Forest may believe they are the ideal club to help the Welsh international rediscover his best form.
