Central midfield is an area that is clearly an important area for Martin O’Neill to address this summer.
There have been plenty of rumours circulating about who is going in and out at that position. For instance Jack Colback is currently between clubs having returned to Newcastle following his 18-month loan spell, although reports suggest that Martin O’Neill will try to get him back.
Liam Bridcutt is being linked with a loan move away, Claudio Yacob is being sought after by Olympiacos and Ben Watson only getting sporadic minutes last season, so it looks as if there could be plenty of changes there before the Irishman finds his ideal combination.
The latest experiment for O’Neill could possibly come from the other side of the world, with a report from The Sydney Morning Herald suggesting that they are set to add to their midfield arsenal by putting in a bid for Sydney FC’s £350,000 valued playmaker Brandon O’Neill.
Brandon O’Neill certainly does appear as though he’d fit right in to English football. He managed to grab eight assists from a defensive midfield position and three goals as well, he’ll add some firepower to the middle of the park and frontmen like Joe Lolley and Lewis Grabban should be looking forward to playing with him behind them.
Having played 90 minutes in all bar one of Sydney’s games this past season, he’s certainly wouldn’t be coming into the season with any injury concerns on him, although whether he could adapt to playing a 46 game schedule with cup games thrown in as well, we’ll have to wait and see.
With such a small price tag, it certainly wouldn’t be much of a gamble for Martin O’Neill to take, it’s not as if it’s a signing that would leave the whole club in financial trouble if it didn’t work out well, but I don’t think it will. And with a host of other clubs all snooping around him, it’s important that Forest get this deal done quickly before someone else does.
