Former Leeds United transfer target joins Mateusz Klich at DC United as Premier League limbo ends

Former Leeds United transfer target Lewis O’Brien has ended his Premier League limbo after being signed by DC United, where he will play alongside ex-Whites favourite Mateusz Klich.

The former Huddersfield Town man has joined the MLS club on loan from Nottingham Forest until July 16, with an option to buy at the conclusion of his initial stay.

O’Brien joined Forest from the Terriers last summer but was then left out of the club’s 25-man squad for the remainder of the Premier League season following more transfer activity at the City Ground.

The Whites submitted a handful of bids for O’Brien during the 2021 summer transfer window, with then Terriers chairman Phil Hodgkinson claiming as much as £13m was offered.

However, as reported by the YEP, the most Leeds offered for the midfielder was £4m with add-ons, a total that fell some way short of Hodgkinson's figure.

O’Brien joined Forest last summer with fellow Huddersfield player Harry Toffolo, with the club paying a total of £10m the duo.

Forest head coach Steve Cooper said: “Lewis deserves this opportunity to go and play football. Everyone knows about his situation, so now he is able to go and get some games under his belt between now and the end of the season and it will be a real positive for him. It will be a great experience and we wish him well.”

Blackburn had tried to sign O’Brien late on deadline day but an issue with the paperwork saw the deal collapse, with the club submitting an unsuccessful appeal to the EFL.

“Lewis has been one of the best players in the Championship over the last few seasons,” Wayne Rooney, manager of DC United, said.

“He reads the game well and creates goal scoring opportunities. Bringing him in on loan from Nottingham Forest was a great bit of business for us and he will be a brilliant addition to our midfield.”

Rooney has already looked to the Premier League to bolster his midfield options, having signed Klich until the end of 2024, with an option to extend until 2025 in the American capital, after the Polish midfielder was released by the Elland Road outfit.

Klich mutually terminated his deal at Leeds in January as he sought more game time elsewhere. He spent five-and-a-half years with the club but admitted last week he could return to reach the 200 appearance mark.