Oldham Athletic may lose out on their move for Joe Gardner after it has emerged that Falkirk have entered the race for his signature.
It was believed that the Boundary Park side were closing in on agreeing a loan deal for the Nottingham Forest prospect after spending the previous season on loan at Mansfield Town, and had begun talks with the Premier League side.
Bairns Eye Swoop
Now, Micky Mellon may have been beaten to the punch to sign his top target, with Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke now reporting that Falkirk have tabled an offer to Forest for a permanent switch for Gardner.
The Scottish Premiership side are in need of new forward options this window after sanctioning the exit of Barney Stewart, who joined West Bromwich Albion for a reported £1.3 million, a club record for the Bairns.
It is believed that there is interest from elsewhere in addition to Oldham and Falkirk, with O’Rourke stating that other sides from League One and League Two are also in the mix for a loan deal for the Irishman.
No decision has been made as of yet by Nottingham Forest over the 21-year-old, who has made one senior appearance, which has since been followed up by loan stints at both Lincoln City and Mansfield.
Injuries hampered his progress at Field Mill, with a three-month absence in the middle of the season limiting him to just 17 overall appearances for Nigel Clough’s side, in which he scored a solitary goal against Stevenage.
Forest Forced To Choose
Joe Gardner’s career is now at a major crossroads following news that Falkirk are willing to sign the forward permanently from Nottingham Forest.
Vitor Pereira’s side have been keen to hand their youth star plenty of senior experience over the past 18 months with successive League One loan spells which have not panned out well for the 21-year-old.
Now, with an option to permanently sell him on the cards, the City Ground side will have to think carefully as to whether he can emerge as a viable first-team option for their upcoming Premier League campaign.
With Chris Wood back to full fitness and Igor Jesus emerging as their new talisman in the New Zealander’s absence, regular minutes may be hard to come by, but could emerge as a younger option to complement that pair and Taiwo Awoniyi, who has one year remaining on his deal.
However, given his struggles while out on loan, cutting their losses may be the best option, and in that case selling Gardner is probably the correct choice and allow him to try and make a name for himself at Falkirk, who need a new forward.
Latics Need Backup
Falkirk’s emergence as a transfer rival puts Oldham Athletic in a tough place, with Micky Mellon now unsure as to whether he will be able to secure a player they were close to signing less than two weeks ago.
With Kian Harratt released and with both Kai Payne and Michael Mellon heading back to their parent clubs, finding someone to play alongside last season’s top scorer in Mike Fondop-Talum will be key to their fortunes.
Of course, clubs will have plenty of options marked in each position for the transfer window, and one of those alternatives may have to be recruited instead should Forest indeed opt to sell rather than send Gardner out on a third straight loan spell.
