Luton Town should push to seal Allan Campbell upgrade from Nottingham Forest: View | OneFootball

Lewis O'Brien would be a shrewd signing for the Hatters to slot straight into their midfield

Luton Town need to be smart in the transfer window this summer to give themselves the best chance of a return to the Premier League next season.

The Hatters, managed by Rob Edwards, did better than many expected them to in the top flight, but it is set to be a summer of change at Kenilworth Road with numerous numerous high-profile exits and arrivals likely as the 41-year-old builds his squad ahead of the new campaign.

Ross Barkley has already left to join Aston Villa, while the likes of Dan Potts, Luke Berry, and Fred Onyedinma have been released upon the expiry of their contracts.

Town have not yet been that active with incomings, but former Brentford midfielder Shandon Baptiste has arrived on a free transfer in what could end up being a smart piece of business.

Along with Baptiste, Luton have also been linked with the signing of centre midfielder Lewis O'Brien, who looks set to leave Nottingham Forest this summer after a nightmarish two years at the City Ground.

O'Brien would be a great acquisition for Luton ahead of the new campaign - they have good depth in midfield, especially if Baptiste signs, but he would surely be an instant starter over the likes of him and Allan Campbell to play alongside Marvelous Nakamba and Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu week-in-week-out.

Lewis O'Brien, Luton Town transfer latest

The Hatters have asked Forest about taking the 25-year-old on loan for the season, according to transfer journalist Alan Nixon via Patreon.

Nixon's report also states that Norwich City are believed to be in the race, however the Pink Un has revealed that the Canaries are not interested in securing the 25-year-old's services this summer.

Forest are understood to want a permanent deal done for O'Brien, given he has not played for the club since January 2023 and spent time on loan at DC United and Middlesbrough last season.

TeessideLive have previously reported that Boro are not interested in making that loan deal permanent this summer, leaving the Hatters what looks like a free run at his signature as it stands.

O’Brien signed for Forest from Huddersfield Town in a joint deal with Harry Toffolo in July 2022 for an initial £10 million, following the Terriers' defeat to the Reds in the Championship play-off final, but has since made just 17 appearances for the club, and now sees his future seemingly lies elsewhere.

Lewis O'Brien would be a smart Allan Campbell upgrade for Luton Town & Rob Edwards

O'Brien already has proven credentials in the second-tier, after being one of Huddersfield's standout players in their brilliant 2021/22 campaign.

He is a box-to-box midfielder that likes to run at defences, but also do the dirty work when needed - he was in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90, 95th percentile for fouls drawn and carries into the final third per 90, and 93rd percentile for tackles won in the middle third per 90 when compared to his fellow Championship midfielders that season, according to fbref.

That tenacity and high-intensity-driven style of play makes him the perfect fit for Rob Edwards in the second-tier next season, with his current midfield options being the aforementioned Nakamba, Mpanzu, Campbell, Jordan Clark and Baptiste, assuming he signs.

In terms of Campbell, he was an arrival in 2021 from Motherwell with plenty of potential, having featured in 135 top flight matches in Scottish football at the age of just 21.

And despite featuring regularly, whether it was from the start or off the bench, for two seasons at Kenilworth Road, Campbell was not part of Edwards' plans in the Premier League, so he was loaned out to Millwall for the 2023-24 season - it did not go to plan though as the Scotsman played just 12 times in the Championship for the Lions.

Credit: Action Images/Andrew Couldridge

Even though Campbell is still talented, it's hard to not say that O'Brien is an upgrade, given his pedigree and past history in the Championship.

O'Brien would certainly push to start among the current crop of Luton engine room operators, and is definitely a better option than Campbell and Clark given his talent and potential to get even better at just 25.

It seems a no-brainer for Luton to try and secure his signature this summer, especially given Forest's need to sell, which could mean they would be happy to accept a fee less than his current Transfermarkt value of €5m.