Nottingham Forest confirm deadline day deal as transfer chase comes to an end
Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien has completed a deadline day move to Swansea City. The 26-year-old will spend the rest of the season with the Championship side.
He had previously been at MLS outfit Los Angeles FC but his stint there officially came to an end on December 31 and an option to buy was not taken up.
O’Brien was said to have a number of clubs keen on securing his signature. Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, Luton Town and the Reds’ arch-rivals Derby County were all credited with an interest in him.
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A statement from Forest said: "Lewis O'Brien has joined Swansea City on loan for the remainder of the 2024/24 campaign. The 26-year-old returned from his loan spell at LAFC last month having made nine appearances for the MLS outfit. The midfielder now heads to South Wales for the rest of the season with our well wishes."
O’Brien made the switch to the City Ground in the summer of 2022 as part of Forest’s recruitment drive following promotion to the Premier League. He has made 15 appearances in the Garibaldi since then but has not featured since January 2023. He has had loan spells at DC United and Middlesbrough as well as his stint in LA.
Reds head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is well stocked for options in the centre of the pitch. So much so that James Ward-Prowse’s stay Trentside was cut short earlier on deadline day and he has returned to parent club West Ham United.
The decision over Ward-Prowse comes after he was left out of Forest’s match squad for Saturday’s 7-0 thumping of Brighton and Hove Albion. That game saw Danilo make his first Premier League start since recovering from the broken ankle he sustained on the opening day of the campaign.
In addition to Danilo starting, the Reds were boosted by fellow midfielder Ibrahim Sangare making his comeback from a hamstring problem with a cameo from off the bench. Nuno also has Elliot Anderson, Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez as midfield options.
“It is important to get them back into the squad because we have been missing them. We have good options in midfield. I am confident that they can help us," Nuno said of Danilo and Sangare after Saturday's win.
