Sheffield United’s transfer path to Nottingham Forest man cleared after Wayne Rooney update

Sheffield United’s potential path to signing Nottingham Forest man Lewis O’Brien has been made a little clearer after Wayne Rooney admitted that DC United have been unable to agree an extension of the midfielder’s loan in the MLS. Rooney had been hoping to extend O’Brien’s loan spell, due to end in the middle of this month, until the end of the American season, but the midfielder looks set to return to England.

That update will be of interest to United and their recruitment staff, who have been strongly linked with O’Brien this summer. Head of recruitment Paul Mitchell is a long-time admirer of O’Brien, going back to his days at Huddersfield Town, and given the midfielder’s uncertain future at the City Ground it would be surprising if he wasn’t at least being monitored ahead of the new Premier League season.

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There was also the possibility of DC making O’Brien’s move permanent, with all loan moves to the MLS obliged to contain a buyout clause. But that will not be activated and the midfielder - who moved to America after being left in limbo following his omission from Forest’s 25-man squad for the second half of the season, and subsequently failed loan move to Blackburn - is set to return to England, where he will no doubt seek discussions with manager Steve Cooper about his future.

“It’s probably looking more likely Lewis will be going back to England,” Rooney, speaking to the Washington Post, admitted earlier this week. “We haven’t managed to get to an agreement with Nottingham Forest. We knew what [the permanent fee] was. He’s been fantastic for us since he’s come in — a great character.”

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Forest are understandably reluctant to strengthen a team who could be a potential relegation rival by loaning them O’Brien, while a temporary transfer would also use up one of United’s two loan spots from a temporary rival. But if the midfielder is not part of Forest’s 25-man squad again, it makes little sense to keep him around the building and a permanent deal could even be brokered, depending on Forest’s valuation of the player.

United are unlikely to be the only side interested in O’Brien, who is not thought to have given up on the idea of turning around his career at the City Ground. “I backed myself,” he told the BBC earlier this year. “I knew there were reasons why I had been signed and there are also reasons why other players were getting signed. I knew I was a different type of player to the ones who were coming in and those we already had. You just have to try and impress when you get on the pitch every day.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. I am really grateful to Wayne Rooney and DC United but, personally, I want to prove I can be in the Forest team and I can play in the Premier League every week. I want to be the player they signed.”

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