Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien is now poised for a move to the MLS following the collapse of his loan deal with Blackburn Rovers.

According to Football Insider, Forest have agreed a deal in principle with Wayne Rooney's D.C. United to loan O'Brien out for the rest of 2023, with the MLS season running from February until December.

However, it has been claimed in the report that the Tricky Trees have been able to negotiate a break clause which would allow them to recall the 24-year-old in the summer should they wish to do so, meaning that his time in the United States could only last a few months.

O'Brien's seemingly imminent move across the Atlantic Ocean comes after he was poised for a deadline day move to Blackburn in January after he fell out of favour at the City Ground under Steve Cooper just months after his arrival from Huddersfield Town.

 

 

However, the EFL claimed that Rovers did not submit the necessary paperwork before the 11pm deadline and thus would not accept his registration.

The Championship promotion chasers contested the EFL's decision and it went all the way to an independent panel in late February, but that ruled in favour of the governing body, leaving O'Brien in limbo as he was not registered for Forest's Premier League squad.

It appears though that his short-term future for now has been sorted, with a switch to link up with Rooney close to being completed.

The Verdict

It's good to see O'Brien sorted for now after the limbo he was put in due to the EFL and Blackburn wrangle.

Whatever you think of the situation and who you think was in the wrong, he could have been left on the sidelines for a number of months due to the failure of getting a deal over the line on time on deadline day.

With this solution though, he will go and get game-time for at least a few months in a competitive league, and perhaps he will return to Forest in the summer with a Championship move lined up.

It's unlikely to be Blackburn though unless they are promoted to the Premier League, and with Steve Cooper not exactly happy with the way Rovers handled the situation, there's a chance there won't be dealings between the two clubs for the player at all.