Fresh detail emerges on Lewis O’Brien’s collapsed transfer from Nottingham Forest to Blackburn Rovers | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers suffered transfer deadline day heartache on Tuesday when a move for Lewis O’Brien from Nottingham Forest fell through.

Despite a striker being the main position that needed strengthening at Ewood Park, Rovers also made a move for the 24-year-old central midfielder, who was made available by the Tricky Trees after falling down the pecking order at the City Ground just months after his arrival from Huddersfield Town.

Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side became the front-runners on the final day of the transfer window for O’Brien’s services, but despite agreeing a deal, passing a medical and doing his first interview for the club, the 11pm deadline passed with no news on his move being a done deal.

There was a long wait the following day but it eventually emerged that the EFL had not accepted O’Brien’s registration, which led to Blackburn contesting the decision – something which again did not go their way when hearing back from the Football League on Thursday.

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Now, per a new report from Football Insider, it was in-fact an EFL technicality which saw the deal not be processed relating to the clause that would make O’Brien’s move to Blackburn a permanent one for £10 million in the event of a promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season.

Rovers shifted the blame onto other parties in an official club statement on Thursday, with the factors outside their control now appearing to be directed at the EFL.

The Verdict

Rovers are still hoping to land O’Brien with a full appeal going in to the EFL regarding their decision, and if it was the Football League’s fault due to their own technicality then you can understand Blackburn’s frustration.

But after being turned down once already, you cannot see it going the club’s way once again.

O’Brien would have been a fantastic addition to the ranks at Ewood Park, but every deadline day deal runs the risk of not being completed in time.

In an ideal world, the EFL will finally give their approval to Blackburn’s move for O’Brien, but it’s hard to see anything other than another rejection coming the way of the Lancashire outfit.