"Plainly obvious" - Leeds United urged to win Nottingham Forest transfer chase | OneFootball

Leeds United are one of a number of clubs reportedly looking into a deal for Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds United have been urged to strike a deal for in-demand Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, who is a reported target for Daniel Farke's side amid an ongoing injury crisis.

The Whites are well-placed to contend for promotion back to the Premier League following a largely-strong vein of form in the early throes of the campaign, winning six of their opening 12 games to rise to third in the table.

Of course, though, they've also faced some trials and tribulations as of late. Leeds' promotion aspirations were handed an undoubted blow when it was confirmed a month ago that captain Ethan Ampadu would be out of action until the new year with a knee ligament injury.

Soon after, Ilia Gruev was also struck down by a meniscus injury during Leeds' 1-1 draw at Norwich City at the start of October, immediately undergoing surgery before being seemingly ruled out of contention until March at the very least.

Leeds could hardly have believed their luck, and while they acted quickly to acquire ex-Wolfsburg midfielder Josuha Guilavogui as a free agent to add short-term cover, Leeds will doubtless be determined to bolster their options in the middle of the park when the January transfer window rolls around.

Leeds United's transfer interest in Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien

According to a recent report published by TEAMtalk, Leeds are among a number of clubs pursuing a deal for Nottingham Forest outcast Lewis O'Brien, who is currently impressing on loan in the MLS with LAFC.

Although LAFC are said to have the option to make O'Brien's stay in California permanent, several clubs are interested in his services and Leeds will reportedly face competition from Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United, Stoke and Hull.

The report adds that O'Brien is unlikely to have a role at the City Ground when he returns from his third consecutive loan spell away from the club. The 26-year-old, who steadily built up an impressive reputation at Championship level for boyhood club Huddersfield Town before moving to Forest in 2022, spent the entirety of the previous campaign on loan at Middlesbrough and has twice been loaned Stateside to DC United and LAFC.

Leeds United urged to sign Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest

It was timely to touch base with our resident Whites fan pundit, Kris Smith, and quiz him on whether he believes O'Brien would represent a strong capture for his club in January.

Kris, who saw plenty of O'Brien during his time just down the road at Huddersfield, has detailed just why the out-of-favour Forest midfielder could be hugely important for Leeds during the second half of the campaign.

"I think every Leeds fan will say it's plainly obvious that we need a new midfielder going into the new year because on top of Ethan Ampadu only just coming back then, it's hard to expect anything from Ilia Gruev for the rest of the season," Kris told Football League World.

"He's expected to potentially be out until March, and by the time he comes back into the team, you can't just thrust him into the middle of a promotion race.

"So when you're looking at potential options, someone like Lewis O'Brien could be a really shrewd addition for a Championship promotion-chasing team like us.

"All the qualities that he would bring make a lot of sense for a double-pivot alongside someone like Ampadu or Ao Tanaka. He's an all-action midfielder, he can keep the ball moving, he's aggressive out of possession and I just think it'd be a really shrewd addition.

"He's played a lot of football recently with LAFC in the MLS, so when his loan ends in December he's coming back to the UK without struggling for sharpness. He's going to come and hit the ground running for any team he signs for.

"I think what separates him from any other targets Leeds might have is his experience in the division as well, obviously playing in that Huddersfield team that got to the play-off final.

"He's got a lot of experience at the top-end at crucial stages of the season. Having played and been brought through in West Yorkshire, I think coming back to that part of the world could intrigue him, too.

"There are probably more ambitious signings Leeds could make to translate to the Premier League beyond this season if that's what the club want, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better and more experienced option for half a season in the EFL."