Nottingham Forest’s proposed deal for Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien ‘will happen’, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

Steve Cooper’s charges have enjoyed a productive opening month or so to the transfer window but have been tipped to add several more fresh faces to their first-team squad.

What is the latest news involving O’Brien?

A recent report from The Telegraph revealed that Forest are close to adding O’Brien to their extensive list of summer acquisitions.

The 23-year-old was left out of Huddersfield’s friendly against Morcambe on Tuesday while the two clubs continue to negotiate a deal, with a £10 million price tag mooted.

Forest have already added Taiwo Awoniyi, Dean Henderson, Neco Williams, Omar Richards, Giulian Biancone and Wayne Hennessey to their ranks and Cooper is now set to prioritise midfield reinforcements.

Morgan Gibbs-White of Wolverhampton Wanderers is believed to be his top target, while O’Brien has been identified for a deeper role in the engine room.

What has Talbot said about O’Brien?

Talbot believes that the Midlands outfit will have to focus on outgoings soon, although reckons a deal for O’Brien will be ‘done relatively soon’.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “I think the Lewis O'Brien one, they’ll get that over the line soon from Huddersfield, that will happen.

“I think Forest must do a few more outgoings to bring anyone in at this point, but the O'Brien one certainly has got legs there. And I imagine that will be sort of done relatively soon.”

Would O’Brien be a good signing?

O’Brien enjoyed a stellar 2021/22 season with his boyhood club, racking up six goal contributions in 50 appearances as Huddersfield finished in third position in the Championship standings.

His former manager Carlos Corberan labelled the tough-tackling dynamo “very special” back in December, and it’s easy to understand why.

As per WhoScored, O’Brien made 2.1 tackles, pulled off one key pass and completed 2.1 dribbles per league game last term, placing him in the top three for each metric when compared to his teammates.

It seems as though the youngster is ready to make the step up to the Premier League, therefore, and he could add some extra bite and drive to Forest’s midfield.

Replacing Manchester United loanee James Garner in the middle of the park will be a difficult task for O’Brien but he’s showcased his impressive potential over the last couple of campaigns and has clearly caught Cooper’s eye.