Nottingham Forest certainly haven’t been shy of a transfer or two since promotion to the Premier League, with owner Evangelos Marinakis desperately looking to improve the squad for the first Premier League campaign in over 20 years.
The board certainly backed former boss Steve Cooper, allowing him to make at least 15 signings during the summer of 2022, with many being a success at the City Ground.
Neco Williams and Taiwo Awoniyi were two of the club’s first additions within the window, with the latter impressing when fit, scoring 17 times in 53 appearances since his £17.5m move from Union Berlin.
However, not all of the Reds’ signings have proven to be a hit, with one player in particular struggling in the East Midlands despite a lot of hype around his move following on from promotion.
Lewis O’Brien’s stats at Nottingham Forest
After beating Huddersfield Town in the play-off final, the Reds decided to raid the Terriers for their key players, signing two players upon promotion.
The club bought Harry Toffolo and Lewis O’Brien for a combined £10m – with each respective player costing £5m each – a bargain in today’s market it must be said.
Whilst Toffolo remains at the club under Nuno Espírito Santo, O’Brien isn’t so lucky, with the 25-year-old midfielder spending the 2023/24 season on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship.
However, last season he made 17 appearances for the Reds in all competitions, scoring a singular goal in the 3-2 defeat against Fulham at the City Ground during the first few months of the campaign.
O’Brien would subsequently move on loan to DC United for more consistent game time, but it wouldn’t catapult him into the Forest first-team once more, with his time in the East Midlands seemingly over less than two years after his arrival.
How much Lewis O’Brien earns at Nottingham Forest
Despite not featuring during this season for the club, Forest are still paying O’Brien a hefty wage, pocketing £15k-per-week at the City Ground, as per Capology.
He would’ve earned a total of £800k during his first season on Trentside and when coupling his £5m fee with his total earnings, it would’ve seen the club splash £5.8m – a hefty chunk, which works out to nearly £350k per appearance.
GK – Dean Henderson
RWB – Neco Williams
CB – Moussa Niakhate
CB – Joe Worrall
CB – Scott McKenna
LWB – Harry Toffolo
CM – Lewis O'Brien
CM – Orel Mangala
RW – Brennan Johnson
LW – Jesse Lingard
ST – Taiwo Awoniyi
Whilst he certainly looked like a shrewd addition at the time, he’s failed to live up to expectations, with his market value dropping to just £4.2m – as per Transfermarkt – as a result of his lack of impact.
With the Reds once again needing to raise funds his summer to avoid another PSR break next season, they simply must offload the 25-year-old, with the former Huddersfield man clearly no longer in Nuno’s plans at the City Ground following his two recent loan moves to the USA and England's second tier.
Amid reports that Boro could be keen on seeking a permanent move for O'Brien, this summer should represent the perfect time for a clean break.
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