Blackburn Rovers are "bitterly disappointed" that their attempts to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien have ended unsuccessfully.
The Championship club agreed a loan deal for the former Huddersfield man on transfer deadline day last month, but some of the paperwork was not filed in time. After going through an appeals process with the EFL, challenging the decision, they have now accepted that the deal cannot be done.
O'Brien is now left in limbo by the situation, with the midfielder not registered in Forest's 25-man Premier League squad. Forest are out of the cup competitions, too, meaning O'Brien cannot play any competitive football until next season. That is unless he moves abroad to a country where the transfer window remains open, such as the United States.
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In an official statement, Blackburn said: "Blackburn Rovers has been unsuccessful in its attempts to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien.
"A loan deal between the two clubs had been agreed on January 31st, however the EFL rejected the registration application on the grounds that, despite Rovers having sought to register the player before the end of the January transfer window, not all the required documentation had been filed by the relevant deadline. The EFL Board subsequently endorsed that decision.
"The club challenged that decision on the basis of a legal interpretation of the Regulations around meeting the relevant deadline.
"Unfortunately, the independently appointed arbitrator has now rejected Rovers’ challenge and determined that the EFL correctly interpreted and applied its Regulations and associated Guidance.
"The club is bitterly disappointed by the outcome, but now accepts the decision. As there is no further right of appeal, Lewis O’Brien’s registration will remain with Nottingham Forest.
"The club will now pursue other options to try and secure the signing of promising young Rochdale midfielder Ethan Brierley as soon as possible, after the club’s registration application for the permanent transfer of the player was also rejected."
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