MICHAEL CARRICK accepts there are a number of hurdles that will have to be overcome if Middlesbrough are to turn Lewis O’Brien’s current loan move from Nottingham Forest into a permanent transfer.

O’Brien joined Boro on a season-long loan last summer, and while a serious Achilles injury kept him on the sidelines for the best part of four months, he has produced a series of impressive midfield displays since returning to full fitness in late January.

Speaking after once again catching the eye in Monday’s dramatic 4-3 defeat to Leeds, the 25-year-old spelled out his desire to remain on Teesside beyond the end of his current loan arrangement.

Boro’s recruitment team are understood to be keen on a permanent deal, but things are not that simple with Nottingham Forest’s position and financial practicalities set to be key determinants of how things unfold.

If Forest were to be relegated this season – they are currently a point above the drop zone with four more games to play – they would almost certainly want O’Brien to be part of their squad in the Championship next season. And even if Forest were to avoid the drop, the midfielder is contracted to the City Ground to the summer of 2026 and is almost certainly in a higher wage bracket than Boro would ideally want to match.

“There are decisions to be made, for sure,” said Carrick, when quizzed about O’Brien’s future. “It’s never straightforward and there is a lot that has to go into it.

“There is always more to it than what might sometimes look like a really simple or easy decision. 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 start making calls in the next week or so.”

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Carrick was reluctant to give too much away over O’Brien, but the former Huddersfield trainee has undoubtedly made a positive impression during his time on Teesside.

His versatility has proved a major asset – he was filling in at left-back in the early weeks of the season – and the fact he remained on Teesside for treatment rather than returning to Nottingham highlights the extent to which he has rapidly become an important member of the first-team group.

He has been playing ahead of fellow central midfielder Dan Barlaser in the last few weeks, but Carrick wants to continue keeping his cards close to his chest until final decisions have been rubberstamped.

“It would be wrong of me right now to really get involved either way,” he said. “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.”

Carrick was, however, willing to express his pleasure at O’Brien’s comments outlining how comfortable he feels within the first-team environment at Rockliffe Park.

The Boro boss places a lot of stock into building and nurturing a positive and supportive team ethos, and constantly insists he does not care if a player is a seasoned veteran, an untried novice or a loanee when it comes to how they are treated within the senior group.

“Ideally, we want the boys to be coming in and enjoy working here,” he said. “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 flipside 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.”