Blackpool 'table offer' for last season's loan star Jordan Gabriel - but Huddersfield Town, Portsmouth and Sunderland also circling for Nottingham Forest man

The Sun’s Alan Nixon understands the Seasiders have tabled a bid for the Nottingham Forest right-back, who made 37 appearances for Neil Critchley’s men last season.

It’s believed Pool face competition from other clubs though, with Championship rivals Huddersfield Town and League One Portsmouth previously linked with the 22-year-old’s services.

It's also understood that Sunderland have since made an approach for the defender.

Reports also suggest Forest might want to bring in a replacement on the right-hand side of defence before allowing Gabriel to depart, should a bid meet their valuation.

The Seasiders are currently short on options in that area of the pitch, following Gabriel’s return to the City Ground and Ollie Turton’s surprise departure to Huddersfield.

Pool don’t have a recognised right-back on their books other than Teddy Howe, who hasn’t featured for the first-team in pre-season and is likely to depart.

The 22-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan with Scunthorpe United, making 12 appearances for the League Two side.

Academy product Jack Moore, aged only 17, played the opening 45 minutes of Blackpool’s opening pre-season friendly against Southport earlier this month.

Summer recruit Callum Connolly, meanwhile, recently hinted in an interview with The Gazette that Critchley sees him featuring at right-back.

The former Everton and Fleetwood Town man, however, is not a specialist right-back and has played the majority of his football up to this point at centre-back or as a defensive midfielder.

As for Gabriel, he is currently training with his parent club and has featured in some of Forest’s recent pre-season friendly.

Forest boss Chris Hughton recently admitted he will take a look at Gabriel during pre-season and will give him the chance to impress at the City Ground.

“He’s another one who will come back on the first day of pre-season,” Hughton said, as reported by Football League World at the start of May.

“With Jordan, he’s another one who’s played fairly regular in League One, however there was a period of time where he was battling with another lad at right-back.

“He’s in a team who are in a very good position in their league and that will give him an opportunity to play in some big games which will help him going forward.

“He’ll return to pre-season training and it will give me a really good opportunity to have a look at him.”

Gabriel was allowed to leave the City Ground at the start of the season after Forest brought in Cyrus Christie on a season-long loan from Fulham.

The defender signed a new contract before he was allowed to move on loan to the Fylde coast.

Gabriel had spells as a youngster at Arsenal and Southend United before he signed for Forest in 2015.

The full-back was handed his first-team debut against Arsenal in September 2019 and went on to make two more appearances for the East Midlands outfit.

He also spent time on loan with Scunthorpe United during the 2019/20 season, making nine appearances before the campaign was curtailed early due to the pandemic.

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