Nottingham Forest star Lewis O’Brien is in talks with DC United over a move to the MLS. The midfielder was left out of the Reds’ 25-man squad in January after falling down the pecking order.
The man who starred for Huddersfield in the Championship last season signed for Forest in the summer. He cost £10 million and has actually made 14 appearances for the Reds during 2022/23.
An illness around the World Cup saw him lose his place in the team, however. That coincided with an upturn in fortunes for Forest and he struggled for game time in the aftermath.
A move to Blackburn Rovers was on the cards for January. Forest wanted any club that signed him to include a clause to sign him permanently should they win promotion to the Premier League.
After agreeing on those terms, the Championship outfit then submitted the wrong paperwork. An appeal was rejected and ultimately O’Brien was left in limbo at the City Ground.
Interstingly, it’s Wayner Rooney that could be set to offer O’Brien a lifeline. He’s still in charge of DC United after leaving Derby County at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
O’Brien in talks with MLS outfit DC United
It’s quite remarkable that Rooney is now set to almost do Forest a favour. He was the club’s foe for so long, almost leading Derby to the impossible and surviving in the Championship.
Now, he’s trying to achieve good things with his former club DC United. Signing O’Brien would certainly enhance his chances of success and it would be a very useful signing for the MLS side.
The 24-year-old did okay when called upon for Forest during the first half of 2022/23. As a result, he would represent a real coup for a team currently operating in the MLS.
Forest would be wise to sanction this deal. Talks are underway and this would allow O’Brien the chance to keep his eye in ahead of next season when he should have a part to play at Forest.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
