It’s a testament to Lewis O’Brien’s pride and professionalism that, after being denied the chance to join Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United last summer, the Huddersfield Town talisman responded with the finest season of his career. There were no tantrums. No transfer requests. Just 8/10 performances, week in, week out.
“We received and rejected four offers from Leeds United,” former Terriers chairman Phil Hodgkinson admitted in September.
“Lewis was aware of the interest from Leeds, as were we, and Lewis was fantastic.
“Lewis said: ‘Of course I want to play in the Premier League and playing for someone like Bielsa with his reputation can only make me better, but I understand the offer’s got to be right for the football club.’
“We explained why (the offer) wasn’t acceptable to us, and there was no negative response at all from Lewis.”
Leeds, Hodgkinson explains, eventually stumped up to £13 million before accepting defeat. Ironically, O’Brien’s sought-after signature can now be secured for less than that (TEAMtalk). The £12 million release clause in his contract has, however, gone ‘un-triggered’ so far.
Are Nottingham Forest now the frontrunners for Lewis O’Brien?
The departure of Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City left a crater the size of the sea of tranquillity in Jesse Marsch’s midfield. But the arrivals of Marc Roca, plus Tyler Adams and/or Mohamed Camara, goes some way to plugging that considerable gap. In fact, you could argue that Leeds’ 2022/23 midfield will be stronger than their 2021/22 edition, even without Phillips.
Roca has already signed on the dotted line from Bayern Munich. According to ESPN, Adams – who worked with Marsch in the MLS – in talks to join the Spaniard for £15 million. It is not certain whether Camara would arrive alongside or instead of Adams. Either way, it’s not easy to see a place for O’Brien at Elland Road as things stand.
So, enter Nottingham Forest, per the Daily Mail. If not the frontrunners, then surely one of the odds-on favourites.
For Huddersfield fans, the prospect of O’Brien joining Leeds or Nottingham Forest must feel like choosing between being flogged to death or burned at the steak. On one hand, Yorkshire neighbours Leeds are one of their biggest rivals. Forest, however, are the side who broke Huddersfield hearts in highly contentious circumstances during the play-off final some six weeks ago.
Insult, let us introduce you to Injury. We’re sure you’ll get on like a house on fire.
‘An exceptional player’
“He is a brilliant player,” Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan tells Examiner Live.
“This year he has played as a left-back and a wing-back, in his best position in midfield, as number eleven, as a ten, and even as a number seven the other day. But it’s not only the fact that Lewis O’Brien can compete at a top-level every single time he plays, whatever position he is on the football pitch, it’s how he reacts to how you make him play in different positions.
“There is what makes him a special player. He is going to be an exceptional player and he is never going to stop growing.”
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