Leeds United, West Brom and Sheffield United set for transfer blow over Nottingham Forest player | OneFootball

Lewis O'Brien is set to sign permanently for LAFC amid interest from the Championship

A host of Championship clubs are poised to miss out on the capture of Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien, who is not expected to make a return to English football following the conclusion of his loan spell with MLS outfit Los Angeles FC.

Instead, the 26-year-old is set to sign permanently for LAFC, according to Alan Nixon via his Patreon page, who reported the latest development in his future on Sunday.

The on-loan Forest midfielder has been deemed surplus to requirements at the City Ground for a significant amount of time and is currently in his third loan stint away from the club, having already turned out in the MLS with D.C. United, along with making a temporary return to the Championship at Middlesbrough last season.

It did appear likely that O'Brien, who previously starred at second-tier level for Huddersfield Town before earning his move to the Reds in 2022, would return once again to the division once his loan spell in California finishes next month, but such a possibility is now seemingly off the table.

That will come as a blow to the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion, who had all been interested in acquiring his services according to prior reports, with Hull City also joining that particular race recently, as per Nixon.

Leeds United, Sheffield United, West Brom set to miss out on Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien

As per the aforementioned report, O'Brien is primed to make his stay in Los Angeles permanent by signing for the club in a £7 million deal.

The Sun have claimed that Leeds and Hull had both fielded unsuccessful enquiries to Forest in attempts to bring O'Brien back to the Championship. It's not yet clear why a move failed to materialise, although according to a previous report from TEAMtalk last week, multiple Championship clubs were interested in O'Brien.

There, it was stated that Leeds and Hull were far from the only clubs interested in striking a deal for the Forest outcast, who had also earned admiration from the likes of Southampton, West Brom, Sheffield United and Southampton after making an impression over in the MLS.

O'Brien has been with LAFC since July, and ahead of the completion of his loan deal in December, TEAMtalk's report added that they have the option to make the move permanent - which has since been exercised, it would seem.

Lewis O'Brien, LAFC development is a big blow for Leeds, Sheffield United and West Brom

Make no mistake about it, this fresh development is sure to come as a real blow for three of O'Brien's suitors in particular.

They're all poised to be in the promotion reckoning throughout the entire season and could've undoubtedly benefited from the services of a player who once played an instrumental role in Huddersfield's shock run to the play-off final in 2022.

Of course, O'Brien and the Terriers were managed by current Baggies boss Carlos Corberan, and given the previous top-quality working relationship the two enjoyed as the dogged midfielder had the best season of his career, a move to the Hawthorns could've been a coup.

Meanwhile, Leeds' midfield injury crisis is well-documented following long-term setbacks to both Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev. Although the free agent acquisition of Josuha Guilavogui should be a shrewd and sensible short-term signing, O'Brien is the superior player at this moment in time and would likely fit Daniel Farke's system better.

The Blades may not feel the blow quite as much. Indeed, such is the quality and depth of Chris Wilder's midfield, Callum O'Hare and Gus Hamer have often been utilised as wide options, with the latter appearing from the bench in three of his side's last four matches.