Nottingham Forest have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Jerry Yates to The City Ground this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by the Lancashire Telegraph, who claim that Blackpool are yet to receive any contact from Blackburn Rovers regarding a move for the 24-year-old striker, with Rovers having been reported to be one of the many Championship clubs interested in a move for the £90k-rated man this summer.

Nottingham Forest and Bristol City are another two sides reported to be keeping a close eye on the situation of Yates, for whom Blackpool are believed to be demanding a fee of around £5m in order to part with in the coming months.

Hughton will be buzzing

With Forest appearing to be in desperate need of a fresh face up front ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign, the news that Yates remains an available player is sure to be news that will leave Chris Hughton buzzing.

Indeed, over his 47 League One appearances for Neil Critchley's side last season, the £2.1k-per-week man scored a whopping 21 goals, provided eight assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making one key pass per game.

These returns saw the striker earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as Blackpool's sixth-best performer in the third tier of English football, with the 24-year-old playing a crucial role in his side's promotion to the Championship.

Yates also scored a further two goals and provided one assist in the club's run in the FA Cup, returns that took the centre-forward's haul for the season to 23 goals and nine assists.

And, with Lewis Grabban only managing six goals for Forest in the Championship last season, while Lyle Taylor scored an even less impressive four league goals, it would indeed appear as if Hughton could do with the addition of a forward who can put the ball in the back of the net on a much more regular basis next season.

As such, the fact that the man whom Critchley dubbed an "outstanding" player is still available this summer is sure to come as delightful news for the Forest manager, although he better act quickly if he wants to ensure that Yates does indeed make a move to The City Ground, rather than anywhere else, this summer.

In other news: Imagine him & Johnson: Hughton must sanction Forest summer swoop for 14 G/A "threat"