Former Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O'Brien's escape route loan could be made permanent

It means the 24-year-old will now finally link up with former Leeds United player Mateusz Klich, something the Whites looked into 18 months ago.

O'Brien and Harry Toffolo left Huddersfield for Nottingham Forest in the summer, but the move backfired for both.

Each made just six Premier League starts for Steve Cooper's side. Five of O'Brien's were in August, and the last of them October. Toffolo made four in August, two in October.

Forest tried and failed to move both on in January.

Left-back Toffolo had a medical at Anderlecht before Forest changed their mind, but Blackburn Rovers had agreed a loan move for O'Brien on deadline day, only for the paperwork to be filed too late.

O'Brien was not registered in the club's 25-man Premier League squad and stranded until the end of the season unless he moved to a league with its transfer window still open.

Major League Soccer side DC United have stepped in to loan him until mid-July.

“Lewis has been one of the best players in the Championship over the last few seasons,” said their coach, Rooney. “He reads the game well and creates goalscoring 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.”

A product of the Terriers' academy, O’Brien spent 2018-19 on loan at Bradford. Leeds had been interested in signing him in the summer of 2021 until they heard Huddersfield's valuation.

Fellow midfielder Klich was released by Leeds in January to allow him to move to Washington.