Leeds United have just over two weeks left to go in the January transfer window to make any additions that they would like to make before February’s deadline.
The Whites are currently top of the Championship and are sat one point ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley in the race to win the second tier title.
They could look to utilise the transfer window to bolster their squad and one of their reported targets, Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien, is set to be available.
Leeds reportedly enquired about a January deal for the English midfielder and it was recently claimed that the Tricky Trees are now looking to move him on after MLS side LAFC opted against paying £5m to make his loan a permanent transfer.
Lewis O'Brien's form for LAFC
The 26-year-old midfielder spent the second half of the 2024 MLS season on loan there and caught the eye with his energetic displays in the middle of the park.
O’Brien, who was described as “very special” by ex-Huddersfield coach Carlos Corberan, started all 13 of his appearances in the MLS and showcased his reliability and creativity on the ball, creating 1.8 chances per game and completing 88% of his attempted passes.
The left-footed ace also made 3.3 tackles and interceptions and 5.6 ball recoveries per game, which shows that he coupled his quality in possession with combative and strong play off the ball to help his team out defensively.
Whilst another midfielder may not make immediate sense for Leeds, with the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, Ao Tanaka, and Joe Rothwell already on the books, O’Brien could come in as Daniel Farke’s own version of Stuart Dallas, who was an important player for Marcelo Bielsa.
Why Lewis O'Brien could be Stuart Dallas 2.0
Dallas, who retired last year, forged a terrific career for himself at Elland Road due to his ability to play in a host of positions across the pitch for the Whites.
The Northern Ireland international racked up 267 appearances in all competitions for the club and did not play more than 97 times in any one position during that time, featuring at left-back, central midfield, defensive midfield, left midfield, and right-back.
Central midfield
119
Attacking midfield
42
Defensive midfield
37
Left midfield
13
Right midfield
10
Left-back
8
Left winger
4
Centre-forward
1
As you can see in the table above, O’Brien would offer a similar level of versatility to Farke at Elland Road in the second half of the season, and beyond, as he can also play at left-back or in midfield – like Dallas – as well as a plethora of other roles.
Dallas made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per match and provided three assists in 45 games in the 2019/20 Championship title-winning campaign, and the Forest outcast averaged 3.0 tackles and interceptions and provided three assists in 43 matches during his last full season in the division with Huddersfield in the 2022/23 term.
Leeds eyeing Bamford upgrade who's a "20 to 25 goal-a-season striker"
Leeds United have been linked with an interest in the Championship attacker.
ByDan EmeryJan 13, 2025
Overall, whether it is on loan or on a permanent deal, O’Brien could come in as a very useful player who could be called upon in many different positions to use his quality on and off the ball to help Leeds push towards the Premier League this season, as Farke’s own version of Stuart Dallas.