Exclusive: Burnley FC ready move to rival Blackburn Rovers for Nottingham Forest transfer | OneFootball

Football League World can exclusively reveal that Burnley are looking to win the race for Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien

Burnley are plotting to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, who was recently on loan with MLS outfit LAFC, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

Alan Nixon reported on Monday evening that Hull City are keen on acquiring O'Brien's services on loan, while Nixon also posted on Sunday that Blackburn Rovers were looking to win the 26-year-old's signature.

Meanwhile, according to a report made by The Sun in November, the Forest man was set to join LAFC on a permanent basis, in a move worth £7m.

But FLW can now reveal that Championship promotion challengers Burnley are eager to win the race for O'Brien's signature, as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League.

Burnley plot to sign O'Brien

The Clarets are currently enjoying an overall successful season in the second tier, and are locked into a fierce battle for automatic promotion alongside the likes of Leeds UnitedSheffield United and Sunderland.

Scott Parker's men will be hopeful that they can add yet another three points to their tally when they visit the Championship's bottom club Plymouth Argyle on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the Lancashire club will also be looking to utilise the transfer window to their advantage, as they look to acquire players who can give them the edge over fellow top-two candidates.

O'Brien is a player whose career to date demonstrates that he should be able to do exactly that, as he helped LAFC finish top of the MLS Western Conference last year.

He was also an ever-present member of the Huddersfield Town side who unexpectedly reached the 2022 Championship play-off final, in which they lost to his current club Forest.

Somewhat ironically, O'Brien joined Forest ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, and went on to make 13 top-flight appearances for the East Midlands club, scoring one goal in the process.

His experience of operating effectively for teams at the right end of the Championship table, as well as in the Premier League demonstrate that he could be an ideal signing for the Clarets to make right now, amid their promotion battle.

The 26-year-old also made 23 second tier appearances while on loan with Middlesbrough just last campaign, further epitomising his nous in the division that Burnley are currently vying to win promotion from.

Blackburn would be gutted if O'Brien joins Burnley

Should the Clarets succeed in their evident mission to acquire the services of the dynamic midfielder, it would be a tough one for Blackburn to take amid their own interest in the Forest man.

Rovers would not like to see one of their transfer targets join their bitter rivals, especially not during a season in which John Eustace's men are battling for a play-off spot amid the Clarets' race for automatic promotion.