O'Brien opens door to Swansea return next season

Lewis O'Brien says he would "definitely" be open to re-joining Swansea City next season if the Championship club were to agree a deal with Nottingham Forest.

O'Brien, 26, has been a standout performer for Swansea since arriving on loan from Forest in January.

The midfielder believes he has played "probably the best football" he has produced since leaving Huddersfield Town to join a Forest side who had just been promoted to the Premier League in 2022.

O'Brien says it will be "hard to say goodbye" to Swansea when his loan stint ends next month – but has opened the door to a return.

"I have really enjoyed my time here," he said.

"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."

O'Brien agreed what Forest described as a long-term contract when he was signed by former Swansea boss Steve Cooper.

But he has so far managed only 17 appearances for a club who are now chasing Champions League qualification.

He had loan spells with Middlesbrough, DC United and Los Angeles FC before joining Swansea after they pushed hard to get a deal over the line following the sale of Matt Grimes to Coventry City.

O'Brien's earning power could be an issue for Swansea, with other clubs likely to be interested in a player whose proven Championship pedigree has been a factor in the Welsh side's revival under caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan.

When asked about O'Brien's contribution, Sheehan said: "He is fantastic to work with, absolutely wonderful, the way he shows up every day, the mentality, the Championship know-how.

"The effect he has had on the place, he has been exceptional. I cannot speak highly enough about him and I make no secret of that.

"If he is available, should you try to re-sign him? I think that's quite an obvious answer."

O'Brien has played in all 12 of Swansea's games since joining the club and will continue that run when they face Hull City on Friday (15:00 BST).

The Huddersfield academy product featured in last month's draw at Leeds United despite the game coming only a matter of hours after he became a father with the arrival of daughter Olive.

"She seems to be a little superpower. Since she's come, my performances have been quite good," O'Brien said.

O'Brien's wife Robyn did not initially join him in Swansea because of her pregnancy, but the family are now together in Wales.

"I am trying to show them as much of Swansea as possible," he added.

"You never know… sometimes they have the best say.

"Obviously the questions have been asked coming up to the end of the season. The answer is always the same – it's 'why not, we'll see what happens and when the summer comes, you never know'."