Nottingham Forest earned an impressive 1-1 draw with Manchester City yesterday. However, midfielder Lewis O’Brien was again not involved and a move to MLS could be on the cards to rescue him from his Forest nightmare.
Lewis O’Brien has been left out of Forest’s last five games. The young midfielder nearly joined Blackburn Rovers in the January transfer window. Whilst he cannot join another English club until next summer, the MLS transfer window closes on April 24th, so he has the option to play in North America this year.
According to The Sun, “Lewis O’Brien is waiting to speak to one of THREE MLS clubs in America. New York City, Columbus Crew and Atlanta United all want the Nottingham Forest outcast. The midfielder, 24, could end up in New York if they sort out a loan fee.
“O’Brien is hoping to quit Forest and join a club in the US. Steve Cooper’s side could heavily fund a temporary switch for O’Brien with the American market still open.”
Should he join NYCFC?
NYCFC are a club well-known to Premier League fans, as they were the club where Frank Lampard ended his career at. They are part of the City Football Group, so a move to them could help with a move back to Europe. Recently the club loaned Valentín Castellanos to Spanish side Girona who are also under the Manchester City umbrella.
They are a successful club that won MLS Cup in 2021. Last year they lost in the playoffs to the eventual finalists, Philadelphia Union. NYCFC currently play at Yankee Stadium, where the New York Yankees baseball team play. However, they plan to have their own soccer-specific stadium by 2027.
What about a move to Columbus Crew?
Columbus Crew is another great club, they have won MLS Cup twice, most recently in 2020. Last season they failed to make the playoffs but they now have a new manager in Wilfried Nancy who guided CF Montreal to a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference last season.
The Crew were one of the first MLS clubs and they were the first to have their own soccer-specific stadium. Their fans even successfully campaigned for the team not to have to move to Austin.
Or what about joining Atlanta United?
Like NYCFC and Columbus Crew, Atlanta has also won MLS Cup, their victory came in 2018. That season they had Miguel Almirón in their ranks who is now starring for Newcastle United. Their current squad includes former Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan. They also have Thiago Almada who was part of the Argentina squad that won the World Cup in Qatar.
Last season they missed out on the playoffs but they are a club with a massive fanbase and their average attendance last year was 47,116.
What should Lewis O’Brien do?
It is clear that O’Brien is not in Cooper’s plans at Forest. He has played just 13 league games since his move from Huddersfield Town last year. He is only 24 so it will look like a step down to join an MLS Club at this stage of his career. However, he will get some much-needed game time which is crucial for any young player.
Moving to MLS would give him the opportunity to experience something different and enjoy playing again.