The Mirror journalist shared via his Twitter account that Forest has blocked a move to a Premier League rival, but O’Brien will still leave the club on loan amid plenty of interest from the Championship.
One team that should be interested are West Brom, who were close to signing the midfielder in January [The Athletic, 28 January], before the move fell through and O’Brien moved to DC United of the MLS to play under Wayne Rooney.
Nottingham Forest have blocked Lewis O’Brien from joining fellow Premier League side Sheffield United, who have now signed fellow midfielder Tom Davies on a free. But O’Brien still leave on loan to the Championship this month with a host of interested clubs. #NFFC
Baggies boss Carlos Corberan has worked with O’Brien previously during their time at Huddersfield, during which time the midfielder put in some stellar performances which earned him recognition from top clubs, eventually resulting in his move to Forest after they achieved promotion.
The midfielder was unfortunate with the timing of his arrival at the City Ground, as he turned up amid an influx of new players, with boss Steve Cooper ultimately preferring other options in the middle of the park.
O’Brien would still have a lot to offer the Baggies, who are desperate for reinforcements this summer and are limited to loans and free transfers by the club’s unfortunate financial position which means they will have to sell players to balance the books.
If the Baggies want to be challenging for promotion, they will need to have quality strength in depth all over the pitch, as injuries have already caused them issues just three games into the new season, and they will only get worse in the testing winter months.
While there are probably more pressing needs in the West Brom team, with additions needed up front most pressingly, adding a player of O’Brien’s quality to the side can only ever be a good thing.
