West Brom have 'jumped to the front of the queue' to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, according to reliable journalist Elias Burke.

The Lowdown: Baggies linked with O'Brien move

The Baggies are seemingly still looking to complete some late transfer business in January in order to boost their promotion push in the Championship this season.

One player who has been linked with a move to West Brom is O'Brien, who has struggled to make an impact at Forest this season, starting just six Premier League games.

Now, a new update suggests that Carlos Corberan could get a deal over the line for the 24-year-old this month.

The Latest: Favourites to sign him

According to The Athletic's Burke, West Brom are now seen as the front-runners to sign O'Brien before deadline day ends on Tuesday.

They are believed to be 'in talks' with the player over the transfer happening, even though Forest manager Steve Cooper has 'played down' his departure.

The Verdict: Would be a great signing

O'Brien could prove to be a really astute signing by West Brom in January, bolstering their midfield options at a critical point in the season, as they look to battle their way into the playoff places.

The former Huddersfield Town man has made 123 appearances in the Championship, so he knows the division well, and he was described as 'exceptional' by Corberan during their time together with the Terriers.

The fact that the Baggies boss knows O'Brien so well as a player is another key reason for signing him and it is hard to see him being anything other than a success, having averaged 2.1 tackles and dribbles apiece in the league for Huddersfield last season, showing quality on both sides of the ball.

Granted, O'Brien hasn't yet done it in the Premier League but he is still a young player who could excel alongside Okay Yokuslu, combining a cultured left foot on the ball with tenacity off it.