Wrexham have agreed a club-record deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien.
The Hollywood-owned outfit wish to strengthen forward of their first season again within the second tier because the 1981/82 season, as they aim a surprising fourth consecutive promotion.
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After being bought by A-list actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney again in November 2020, the Welsh facet have loved a meteoric rise by means of the divisions.
Promotion from League One in April marked the Robins’ third straight promotion, who now sit only one division under the Premier League, regardless of enjoying within the Nationwide League as lately as 2023.
And so they now look set to make their newest assertion of intent by transferring to signal a participant of top-flight calibre.
The Championship new boys have reportedly agreed a deal price as much as £5million for Forest’s O’Brien, based on The Solar.
Since making the transfer to the Metropolis Floor from Huddersfield in 2022, the 26-year-old has struggled to determine himself in Nuno Espirito Santo’s beginning XI.
He spent the second half of final season on mortgage at Swansea, the place he as soon as once more proved his Championship credentials by making 16 appearances, scoring as soon as.
However whereas Forest are ready to let O’Brien depart after having their asking worth met, there stays a possible impediment to the transfer.
Wrexham are mentioned to be struggling to satisfy the Englishman’s wage calls for, with their phrases properly under what he’s presently on.
This has put the switch doubtful, with a compromise needing to be reaching throughout wage discussions to ensure that O’Brien to swap the East Midlands for Wales.
The Dragons have already made two signings since reaching the second tier.
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Ryan Hardie was snapped up from relegated Plymouth for £825,000, having netted 10 targets within the Championship final time period.
In the meantime former Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward arrived on a free switch following the expiration of his Foxes contract.
Nonetheless, their most eye-catching piece of enterprise thus far has been to mortgage membership legend Paul Mullin to Wigan.
The striker netted 105 targets in 165 video games to assist Wrexham obtain promotion from the Nationwide League and League Two.
However Mullin discovered himself out of favour underneath Phil Parkinson final season, paving the way in which for a transfer again to League One.
Nonetheless, the 30-year-old later labelled the choice a “unusual state of affairs”, when chatting with talkSPORT.
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Ought to Wrexham safe the signing of O’Brien, he would carry loads of Championship expertise to their group.
He first made a reputation for himself with Huddersfield, the place he established himself as a mainstay within the first group after rising by means of the membership’s youth ranks.
O’Brien made 123 second tier appearances for the Terriers within the over three seasons, catching the attention of Forest, who moved to signal him following their return to the large time in 2022.
However he did not make himself an everyday fixture for the Reds, that includes 13 instances within the Premier League in his debut season, earlier than being loaned out to MLS facet DC United on a short-term deal in March 2023.
A mortgage again to the Championship with Middlesbrough adopted that August, the place O’Brien featured 23 instances in an injury-hit marketing campaign.
The midfielder returned to the MLS for the rest of the 2023/24 marketing campaign, becoming a member of Los Angeles FC, earlier than his most up-to-date mortgage spell at Swansea took place in January.
O’Brien has not featured for Forest since 25 January 2023, the place he performed 17 minutes of an EFL Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United.