Blackpool boss responds to transfer rumour linking League One rivals with ex-Nottingham Forest and Arsenal youngster

According to Alan Nixon, play-off hopefuls Lincoln City are preparing to make a move for the ex-Nottingham Forest and Arsenal youngster at the end of the current campaign.

The 25-year-old made the permanent move to Bloomfield Road in 2021, following an initial loan stint away from the City Ground with the Fylde Coast club, and has made a total of 101 outings for the Seasiders.

Responding to the rumours linking Lawrence-Gabriel with an exit, Blackpool boss Neil Critchley said: “Part of recruitment is the retention of your best players, not just those you bring in from the outside. If we want to move forward and keep building, then keeping our best players is paramount.

"I’m not aware of that link (for Lawrence-Gabriel). It’s not quite the end of the campaign when silly season starts with links all over the place, but I’m sure they will start to appear in the next few weeks- some will be true and some won’t be. We just have to concentrate on us, the players we have here, and the players we will look to recruit in the summer.”

Lawrence-Gabriel missed the start of the season due to a serious knee injury, but has worked his way back to full fitness to claim a regular spot in the Seasiders’ starting 11.

"He’d been out for a long time, and he has to find rhythm and consistency in his performances, which is probably reflective of the whole group this season,” Critchley added.

"We know we’ve been able to perform against the top teams, and we’ve shown that, but we are searching for consistency, and Jordan would be in that category. That’s something we need to strive to get better at.”