West Brom closing in on Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion are close to sealing an agreement to take Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien on loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign, according to an update from Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas.

The 24-year-old has seen his game time limited at the City Ground this term, recording 17 appearances in all competitions with some of these displays coming in the form of short cameos from the bench.

Scoring just once for Steve Cooper’s side this season, the midfielder hasn’t been able to make the same impact he did at Huddersfield Town last season when he thrived under Carlos Corberan.

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And Corberan is seemingly keen to seal a reunion with the 24-year-old despite the fact he hasn’t been one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Reds this term, with the Baggies arguably in need of improving their midfield area.

Albion’s interest in the ex-Terrier was reported earlier this month and it was claimed by the Daily Mirror yesterday that Forest were willing to sanction an exit for him amid a lack of game time.

And exits for both him and Harry Toffolo seem to be on the horizon now, with the latter closing in on a switch to Anderlecht after turning down Hull City.

The Verdict:

This could be an excellent signing for Albion considering how much of an asset the 24-year-old can be in the second tier.

With others also climbing ahead of O’Brien in the pecking order at Forest, there’s every chance the Baggies could strike a permanent agreement for him in the summer if they can secure a return to the Premier League.

Corberan seems to know how to get the best out of the midfielder and considering this is only a loan deal, it shouldn’t be too expensive for the Baggies so it’s difficult to see a downside of this likely move.

Of course one of Okay Yokuslu and Jayson Molumby is likely to drop out of the starting lineup with John Swift or Tom Rogic always likely to play in an advanced role when fit – but that level of competition will be needed if they want to give themselves the best chance of getting back to the top tier at the second time of asking.

This may also be an excellent move for O’Brien who will be keen to win as many first-team minutes as possible after seeing his game time limited in the East Midlands.