Swansea liked Lewis O’Brien so much they’re paying Nottingham Forest £27,000 a week for his services, reports say.

Central midfielder O’Brien joined the Swans on loan on deadline day having been linked to a host of Championship clubs. Having sold long-serving Matt Grimes to Coventry, they needed to strengthen in the centre of the park.

But journalist Alan Nixon reports that Swansea were so impressed by O’Brien’s stint at Los Angeles FC in the first half of the season that they’re paying a big chunk of the 26-year-old’s Forest wages. O’Brien played 18 games for LAFC between August and November, winning the US Open Cup and suffering a quarter-final defeat in the MLS play-offs, but the US side opted not to take up an option to buy the midfielder.

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest star rejected January transfer exit

READ MORE: When every Nottingham Forest player's contract is due to expire as big summer transfer calls loom

Now back playing in the UK, O’Brien will make his Swansea debut on Sunday. He's been named in the starting line-up to face Bristol City in the Championship, with kick-off at midday.

While Swansea will need O’Brien to do well when they’re paying so much for him, former Swans defender and Forest assistant manager Alan Tate feels he will be a hit. Although, Tate says he won’t be a like-for-like replacement for Grimes.

Tate told the BBC: “Signing Lewis is a good bit of business. He brings enthusiasm and dynamism with the legs he has in midfield. He gets stuck in, he will make passes and he will make forward runs.

“The only way he is like Grimesy is that he is left-footed. They are not like-for-like players in any way really, in terms of how they play.

“Grimes is more of a controller. Lewis is an all-action midfielder who wants to get up and down the pitch. He wants to get forward and score goals but he will also do really well on the defensive side.”

What's the one piece of business Forest must do this summer? Click HERE to have your say.