Norwich City and Luton Town battling for Nottingham Forest outcast | OneFootball

The Championship duo are set to battle it out for Lewis O'Brien

According to reports, Championship duo Norwich City and Luton Town are battling it out for Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien.

It would be fair to define O'Brien's time at the City Ground as a nightmare.

The energetic midfielder made 13 Premier League appearances during the first half of Forest's opening season back in the top flight, following his move from Huddersfield Town, before quickly falling out of favour.

O'Brien ended up in the MLS on a short-term loan with D.C. United after a temporary move back to the Championship with Blackburn Rovers collapsed due to a delayed submission of paperwork, and then spent last season with Middlesbrough, but after suffering a fractured tibia and damaged ankle early on in the campaign, the midfielder's campaign was a frustrating one.

It very much feels as though O'Brien will be back plying his trade in the second-tier of English football next season with Norwich and newly-relegated Luton both set to go toe-to-toe in the race for his services.

Norwich City and Luton Town battle for transfer of Nottingham Forest's Lewis O'Brien

This is according to a recent report from Alan Nixon's Patreon service, via the Pink Un, which claims that the second tier duo are both pursuing a deal for the out-of-favour Forest man this summer.

However, Nixon's report informs that Forest's preference is to sanction a permanent departure this summer as opposed to a third loan exit.

It is believed that O'Brien is among a number of players that Forest will attempt to move on amid ongoing issues pertaining to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability regulations.

In particular, Norwich's interest comes as little surprise given that Gabriel Sara and Kenny McLean are both seriously linked with Carrow Road exits, with Roma and Rangers circling respectively.

Norwich and Luton transfer target Lewis O'Brien would be an impressive capture for almost any Championship club

O'Brien's Forest failure is not a strong reflection of his ability, with the proven reality being that he's a top Championship operator who, admittedly under better circumstances, could even do a job in the Premier League.

Capable of breaking up possession deep in midfield, pressing high off the ball and progressing play centrally with his ball-carrying quality, O'Brien is a manager's dream - the perfect all-round, box-to-box midfielder at Championship level.

Of course, the departure of manager Carlos Corberan to Olympiakos was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back in regards to Huddersfield Town's immediate demise after losing to Forest themselves in the 2021/22 play-off final, but the cost of losing O'Brien cannot be understated and many Terriers fans would still attest that they're yet to have found an ample replacement.

Excelling in virtually every relevant metric, O'Brien was up there with the best and most effective players in the division that year, leaving little wonder as to why he attracted top-flight interest.

He's still only 25 too, so you'd be naive to rule out a return to those levels if he's in the correct tactical system and enjoys better fortunes with injuries.

In fact, you'd imagine that Forest's asking price may be rather lenient as they're fighting against PSR rules - akin to many Premier League clubs at this moment in time - and O'Brien evidently doesn't figure in the plans of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The natural lower cost nature of a loan transfer would be more convenient for Championship clubs including Norwich and Luton, but, theoretically speaking, perhaps an obligation to purchase could also be included.

Either way, Championship suitors should be scrambling for his signature this summer on whatever terms are necessary, and Norwich and Luton are doing well to gain a potential head-start in the race.