Wayne Rooney is hoping to extend the loan of Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien. The D.C. United boss has been satisfied with the player he signed shortly after the January transfer window closed.
O’Brien has seemingly been enjoying his football in Washington. As a result, The Sun claims that Rooney is now keen to extend the player’s loan from July until the end of the calendar year.
Rooney is trying to enhance his managerial reputation in the United States. He used to play for D.C. United and he was appointed as their head coach shortly after he left Derby County.
O’Brien signed for Forest after the Reds beat Huddersfield in the Championship Play-Off Final in May 2022. He cost the club £10 million and made 14 appearances during the first half of the 2022/23 campaign.
With that in mind, it was perhaps a surprise when he was omitted from the 25-man squad when it was resubmitted in January. Forest added Danilo and Jonjo Shelvey during the transfer window and that put O’Brien down the pecking order.
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In Rooney, he’s found a gaffer who rates him highly. Not that Steve Cooper doesn’t but ultimately the Forest head coach preferred other options as the Reds secured Premier League survival.
Rooney hoping to extend loan of Forest midfielder O’Brien
This would be a good move for all parties. It has been claimed that Sheffield United fancy signing but if he extends his current loan, that potential move would be scuppered.
O’Brien was largely decent when he played for the Reds. He had some strong performances and at 24-years-old, the Forest man does have something to give to the club.
It’s an intriguing situation with O’Brien. Ultimately, he did only cost £10 million, however, and perhaps the club saw that as a risk worth taking even if it didn’t quite work out.
Forest will hope for a resolution to the situation before the campaign starts. Letting him stay on loan at D.C. United until the end of the year looks like the right thing to do, with the player enjoying his football.