of Blackpool is reportedly being targeted by the Imps, according to Alan Nixon—who wears whatever hideous red shirt he writes for these days.
I received this, and while I don’t usually read red tops—especially not the Scum—I figured I’d share it with you so you may consider it plausible. Currently under contract at Bloomfield Road, Gabriel has made nine starts in League One and seven substitute appearances for Neil Critchley’s team.
He started his career as a young player with Southend and Arsenal before enrolling in Forest’s academy in 2015. In 2016, he made his professional debut at The City Ground in the League Cup against Arsenal. He played nine games in League Two for Scunthorpe on loan after completing a trial at Port Vale.
After making his Championship debut for Forest, he went on loan to Blackpool in the 2020–21 campaign, where he was a member of the team that ultimately defeated us to secure a spot in the Championship. He was an unutilized substitute in the final, having played just ten minutes against us in the exciting 2-2 draw that rekindled our play-off hopes.
He signed a four-year contract with the Tangerines, making the move permanent after their promotion. During their two-year tenure in the Championship, he made 41 appearances. In April 2023, he sustained a knee injury against Millwall that prevented him from playing until December of the same year. After sustaining a similar injury in October of the previous year, he had already lost four months of the season.
Gabriel, a right back and right wing back, has scored twice this season, including an FA Cup goal against his old team, Nottingham Forest.
Is the rumor credible? According to Nixon’s brief report, we want the 25-year-old “even if we stay in League One this season,” which is a bold statement considering his history of championship success. But there’s still a year left on his deal, so there would be a cost.
Regarding the veracity of the conjecture, I’m not sure.
