Lewis O’Brien’s Nottingham Forest exit takes next step as £5m bid is submitted

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Nottingham Forest are looking to offload Lewis O’Brien this summer, with a permanent deal favoured for both parties.

O’Brien enjoyed a successful loan spell at Swansea City in the second half of the 24/25 season, fuelling speculation that the midfielder would return to South Wales permanently.

They weren’t his only option, though, as three EFL sides were eyeing O’Brien, as well as talk of a surprise move to Valencia to potentially reunite with Carlos Corberan.

With the queue for O’Brien’s signature piling up, it has been revealed that one Championship side has taken the most meaningful step yet to beating the chasing pack.

Hull City submit bid for Nottingham Forest’s Lewis O’Brien

O’Brien had shown an interest in staying at Swansea but with so many clubs interested in him, it was always more likely to be decided by who would pay Forest the biggest fee.

According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, it is Hull City that have opened the bidding, with a £5m fee to test Forest’s resolve.

The report said: “Hull City are making a £5 million bid for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

“The Tigers have opened the bidding and Forest expect a bit more cash before letting O’Brien go for talks. Birmingham City and Southampton have also shown an interest but have other targets and do not want an auction.”

Having spent £10m on the 26-year-old back in 2022, Hull’s bid would represent a significant loss on Evangelos Marinakis’ investment, but realistically, the fee presented is hard to turn down.

Nottingham Forest shouldn’t haggle in Lewis O’Brien sale

Marinakis is building a reputation when it comes to bargain signings, seen recently as Juventus fans can’t believe the reported fee for Samuel Mbangula, who is being heavily linked with Forest.

In O’Brien’s case, though, the extra few million that could be made from starting an auction with other Championship sides should be ignored to allow the midfielder to kickstart his career again.

O’Brien hasn’t played a single minute of football under Nuno Espírito Santo, relying on loans for gametime but never turning any of these into permanent deals.

This time, though, Forest should let the ex-Huddersfield star take a permanent step away from the City Ground without risking a collapse in a deal by starting an auction.