Wrexham may quickly consider their chances of a deal for this Premier League player as over, as more and more teams join the transfer hunt.
An exciting summer lies ahead at the Racecourse after Wrexham secured themselves a third-straight promotion, landing themselves in the second tier of English football for the first time in more than 40 years.
Manager Phil Parkinson has revealed Wrexham’s transfer plans for the summer: he says the club won’t be signing any superstar names and that he wants to maintain a positive dressing room.
So far we’ve seen several players linked with Wrexham ahead of the summer. There are some exciting names among the shortlist too including Tom Cairney and Jamie Vardy, with reports that Wrexham have offered a contract to Cairney already.
Another name rumoured to be of interest is Lewis O’Brien. The Nottingham Forest midfielder sees his contract expire in a year’s time and he’s now tipped to leave the club again this summer: either in another loan deal or permanently.
Several Championship clubs in the race to sign Wrexham transfer target Lewis O’Brien
O’Brien spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Swansea City, and Wrexham’s Welsh rivals are now keen to make his stay permanent. But in what is a huge blow for both clubs, La Liga giants Valencia are now interested in O’Brien.
That’s not all though. Things have gone from bad to worse for Parkinson in the race to sign O’Brien this summer as Wales Online have now revealed that ‘a host of Championship clubs are keen’ to sign O’Brien this summer, with his exit from Forest now looking inevitable.
It might come as no surprise to learn that so many teams are interested in O’Brien. This is also a theme that might pop up time and again for Wrexham this summer as they set their sights on bigger and better players.
Lewis O’Brien may have already picked out his next club
Whilst Valencia would undoubtedly stand a strong chance of signing O’Brien, given their stature and so on, the 26-year-old has already given a massive hint towards where his future might lie.
Speaking earlier in the year, O’Brien said he’s open to joining Swansea City on a permanent basis this summer. He said: “I have really enjoyed my time here. It’s never out of the question, but sometimes it’s not in my hands, especially having to go back to my parent club. We will see what the summer holds. It’s never say never, really.”
Swansea officials have also confirmed their interest in a permanent deal and so it could be that Swansea City are leading the race, albeit the final decision remains with Nottingham Forest.
For Wrexham, they’re going to need to act fast if they want O’Brien. But their own story and their rise makes them an attractive option too.