Lewis O’Brien has stated that he would love to stay at Middlesbrough if everything comes into place.
Michael Carrick has revealed that Middlesbrough may face difficulties in re-signing Lewis O’Brien this summer, but that negotiations about his future will take place at the end of the season.
O’Brien has spent the season on loan from Nottingham Forest, where he was left out of the first-team picture. The midfielder, who ruptured his Achilles after only six matches, hasn’t been able to perform to his full potential at the Riverside, but he has impressed recently as part of the Boro team that went nine games unbeaten before Monday’s defeat to Leeds.
Speaking after the game, the 25-year-old said he’d enjoyed his time at Boro, despite the lengthy and frustrating hiatus, and that he’d ‘love to stay’ if everything worked out. Though Carrick was hesitant to reveal anything about Boro’s future plans, he did agree that even the player’s statement did not make the situation any easier for the club.
“There is always more to it than what might sometimes look like a really simple or easy decision,” the Boro boss said. “There is certainly a lot more depth to it. That’s how it is, and it’s nothing new, it’s always been the case. We’ll make the call in the next week or so.
“There are decisions to be made, for sure. It’s never straightforward and there is a lot that has to go into it. It would be wrong of me right now to really get involved either way. It’s the discussions that will take place and obviously have been taking place. We’ll discuss things at the end of the season and see what’s best for everyone moving forward.
“It’s not a flip-on-and-off switch between transfer windows. It’s constantly evolving and developing. But, for me, in terms of giving anything definitive, until that’s done, it’s wrong of me to get involved any further.”
It is unclear at this time if Boro will be interested in acquiring O’Brien permanently, with the club presumably scouting for options throughout the season and possibly finding someone else to pursue this summer. However, even if they make O’Brien their main target to fill the midfield spot he will leave at the end of his loan stay, the task would be difficult.
Nottingham Forest are thought to have paid roughly £5 million to sign him from Huddersfield two years ago and offered him a Premier League salary that would be beyond Boro’s means. With two years remaining on that contract, it’s unclear how much Boro would have to pay in terms of transfer fees and wages to tempt him back to the Riverside. Furthermore, as was the case with Ryan Giles last summer, his present form has the potential to pique the interest of others.
For the time being, Carrick is content that O’Brien and Boro’s other loan players are doing well and buying into the club’s plans. It was especially satisfying for him to hear how much O’Brien was enjoying his time in Teesside.
He said: “Ideally, we want the boys to be coming in and enjoy working here. We work hard and push them, but we want them to enjoy it and want to be here. That’s important to be successful. From Lewis’s point of view, he had the big setback at the start of the season but as I said recently, we treat all the players as our players because they are our players while they’re here, however long that is for.
“Whether they’re permanent, loan, contract is up or whatever. At the moment, we’re here and we’re all together. On the flip side of that, all of the loan players in my time here have all bought into it and have been incredibly invested in what we do, which is credit to them. That’s not something you always get or should take for granted.”
At this point in the season, with very little pride to play for, the future has been a topic of conversation for several weeks, with the club securing Isaiah Jones’ longer-term future last week with the signing of a new contract. As conversations with other players in a similar position continue, Carrick’s contract is also being discussed.
The Boro manager has one year left on his present contract, but it is claimed that constructive conversations led to a deal being closed in February, before Boro embarked on an unbeaten run that pushed them back into the top six until last week.
When asked about his own future plans, Carrick simply stated, “I’m happy here.” That will get sorted out at some point. I’m in no rush to have that sorted. I’m really calm about things.”
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