Nottingham Forest rivals could offer transfer solution but withering verdict poses stumbling block
A trip across the East Midlands divide could provide a transfer solution for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien.
The 26-year-old is out of favour at the City Ground and in line to head elsewhere before the winter transfer window comes to a close. He has been linked with a number of clubs, and now Derby County are said to have their eye on him.
According to The Sun, the Reds’ arch-rivals are keen on O’Brien ahead of Monday’s 11pm deadline. However, it seems there is a considerable sticking point for any potential deal.
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Forest are said to want “the best wage offer” as they look for a loan move for the former Huddersfield Town man. Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers have been linked but it is claimed the Championship duo are not able to support “even half” of the player’s salary.
The report states Derby, Luton Town and Swansea City are “willing to offer more”. But they might have to work on persuading O’Brien of the merits of a potential switch as he is said to want a “club with a play-off chance”.
Derby are currently 22nd in the Championship table, two points adrift of safety. They lost their seventh successive league match on Saturday when they were toppled 1-0 at home by Sheffield United.
O’Brien is on the lookout for a move in the final days of the transfer window after his loan spell at Los Angeles FC officially ended on December 31. The MLS outfit had an option to buy included in the deal but they did not take it up.
It is likely to be a relatively quiet deadline day on the banks of the Trent, both in terms of incomings and outgoings. Aside from O’Brien, Emmanuel Dennis is the other fringe player Forest will look to move on. The attacker was not part of the 25-man Premier League squad for the first half of the campaign and his situation has not changed since.
