A former Middlesbrough player who struggled at the Riverside Stadium is now set for a surprise transfer this summer.
Michael Carrick was able to guide Middlesbrough to a fourth-place finish during his debut season at the Riverside Stadium.
However, the summer of 2023 saw Boro lose a number of key stars like Chuba Akpom, Cameron Archer, and Ryan Giles.
In a bid to replace said players, Middlesbrough made 14 transfers under Kieran Scott during the 2023/24 season.
Some of those additions proved to be quality purchases. Rav van den Berg won the Middlesbrough Player of the Year award in his debut campaign.
Emmanuel Latte Lath also excelled in the second half of last season, scoring 11 and his last 12 Championship matches.
However, there were a couple of 2023/24 signings who really struggled during their time on Teesside.
Middlesbrough flop Lewis O’Brien set for MLS transfer
One such player is Lewis O’Brien, who joined Middlesbrough on loan from Nottingham Forest for 2023/24.
O’Brien’s signing was seen as a bit of a coup after he played a key role in Huddersfield Town reaching the play-off finals in 2022.
However, his time with the Reds did not go to plan. The midfielder made just 23 league appearances and was relegated to a fringe role in Carrick’s squad.
O’Brien returned to parent club Nottingham Forest at the end of last season but is now set to leave the City Ground.
Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, reports that Forest will allow the 25-year-old to join Los Angeles FC this summer.
O’Brien previously impressed in the MLS under Wayne Rooney with DC United and has turned down interest from Sheffield United and Burnley to return to America.
Middlesbrough have already replaced Lewis O’Brien
While O’Brien did not have the best stint with Middlesbrough, he was needed as a squad player during a hectic campaign.
However, the North East outfit have wasted little time in replacing the MLS-bound star in the current window.
Aidan Morris joined Middlesbrough from Columbus Crew last month in a £3.18m deal.
The American is yet to start a pre-season game for the Teessiders but a pundit has praised Morris for his 30-minute cameo against Gateshead on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old has plenty of potential and could be a long-term replacement for 36-year-old Jonny Howson.