Wrexham have launched a £5 million bid for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The Red Dragons are looking forward to embarking on their first season in the second tier in 23 years following their meteoric rise through the football pyramid. Phil Parkinson’s side were playing non league football as recently as 2023, but three successive promotions has seen them rise to the Championship in record time.
Their summer business has been reasonably quiet so far, bringing in attacker Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle and goalkeeper Danny Ward following his release from Leicester City. However, a number of new arrivals are expected before the campaign kicks off next month.
O’Brien Bid Accepted But Deal Unlikely
Wrexham have been linked with Forest midfielder O’Brien for a number of weeks but have now finally made their interest concrete. It is claimed that a £5 million bid is likely to be accepted but the 26-year-old’s wage demands are a major sticking point.
Capology state the player currently earns £35,000 per week, which is a figure which the Welsh-based outfit are struggling to meet.
The former Huddersfield Town man has one year remaining on his current deal at the City Ground but is likely to be moved on this summer. He has made just 17 appearances in all competitions for the two-time European champions since joining from the Terriers in 2022.
A number of loan moves have materialised over the past couple of years, including D.C United, Middlesbrough and Los Angeles FC. He spent the second half of last season at Swansea City, where he enjoyed 16 successive starts between February and the end of the campaign. The Swans are said to be keen on bringing O’Brien back to the club, whilst Preston North End and Hull City have also been linked.
It’s not the first time that his wage demands have caused an issue for interested parties. It was claimed in January that both Preston and Blackburn Rovers were keen on acquiring his services but were unable to afford his salary.
Writer’s View
It seems strange that Wrexham would launch a bid knowing that they wouldn’t be able to meet O’Brien’s demands. You’d have to assume that they have at least held talks with the player’s representatives and had some kind of indication that he would be willing to take some sort of pay cut. If they haven’t, it may be wise to accept this is a deal they can’t do and move on to other, more attainable targets.
