Pundit offers very honest verdict on £8m Leeds target Lewis O’Brien

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Leeds United were linked with a number of central midfielders over the summer, including Huddersfield Town ace Lewis O’Brien.

Nahitan Nandez was a popular name in the mix, but Leeds looked closer to home with O’Brien.

The Mirror reported in August that Huddersfield were preparing to sell O’Brien to Leeds in a deal worth around £8million.

Leeds director of football Victor Orta has admitted that O’Brien was a target, but the difference in valuation meant no deal was done.

The 22-year-old is now focusing on Huddersfield, and has bagged one goal in three Championship games for Carlos Corberan this term.

O’Brien may end up in the Premier League at some stage, and Leeds could come back in for him in January, but Mark Lawrenson hasn’t really been impressed.

The long-time BBC pundit has been speaking on Preston-based podcast From The Finney, reflecting on North End’s defeat at Huddersfield last month.

Lawrenson went to the game, and was told by those around Huddersfield of the quality O’Brien possesses.

However, Lawrenson couldn’t really see what O’Brien offered, believing he really wasn’t the kind of player Marcelo Bielsa needs in midfield.

Neat and tidy was Lawrenson’s verdict, but not good enough for Leeds if they’re looking to kick on in the Premier League.

“They were telling me that they had a midfield player called Lewis O’Brien, linked with Leeds,” said Lawrenson. “I’m watching him play, and I thought ‘if he’s linked with Leeds, I’m putting my boots back on’, because I couldn’t see what he did.”

“He was just like a neat and tidy midfield player, I thought he’d be 6ft 1in, he’d be up and down the pitch, a typical kind of Bielsa player, and I just couldn’t see it. I think that was maybe Huddersfield trying to flog somebody,” he added.