Craig Scott

Sun 29 May 2022 18:44, UK

Huddersfield’s failure to win promotion to the Premier League means the door has opened for Leeds United to finally sign Lewis O’Brien from them this summer.

Levi Colwill’s own goal was enough for Nottingham Forest to win 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Sunday (29 May).

And that means that O’Brien, 23, could now be up for grabs for Leeds for an affordable fee.

Sun journalist Alan Nixon reported via his Patreon account on Sunday morning (29 May) that Leeds “will make a new move” to sign O’Brien after a failed effort to land the Huddersfield central midfielder last summer.

It is understood that Leeds spent weeks chasing a deal for the Colchester-born maestro only to fail to offer Huddersfield enough money for their star man.

Nixon claims that Leeds should now, however, be able to afford Huddersfield’s £10million valuation of O’Brien but he warned that if the Terriers won promotion, they’d find it difficult to strike a deal.

But now, with Huddersfield set for another year of Championship football due to Forest’s promotion, the ball is in Leeds’ court to land O’Brien.

Although Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta have already signed one midfielder this summer with Brenden Aaronson arriving from Red Bull Salzburg earlier this week, the USA international is a more attack-minded option.

O’Brien is a proper central midfielder who’s also able to sit back and play in front of the defence.

Leeds have been desperately short of options in that area this season with Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw suffering injuries, Stuart Dallas being forced to play at full-back and Mateusz Klich struggling for form.

O’Brien may not have been on the up with Huddersfield this weekend but his performances are constantly impressive and the only place this player is going is up – just not with his current club.

In other Leeds United news, the Whites are in a battle to sign this 11-goal forward who’s been relegated this season.