Lincoln City Face Championship Side in Race for 25-year-old after deal was finally reached
Lincoln City are in a race with Championship newbies Oxford United to sign Blackpool’s Jordan Gabriel.
The Imps were reported to be plotting a summer move for the full-back as early as March, but now face competition for his signature from the division above.
Lincoln City Looking for Lasse Sorensen Replacement:
Lincoln City have sold fan-favourite wing-back Lasse Sorensen to fellow SkyBet League One outfit Huddersfield Town, for a deal worth up to a reported £500,000.
Former Nottingham Forest youngster Gabriel was believed to be of interest to the Imps in March by Alan Nixon (on his Patreon account – paywall). The journalist has now revealed that Oxford have joined the race for his signature.
Oxford United won the play-offs last season, easing past Bolton Wanderers in the Wembley Stadium final thanks to a Josh Murphy brace.
Des Buckingham’s side have already added now-former Sheffield Wednesday man Will Vaulks, at the end of his contract at Hillsborough, ahead of their Championship return.
League One and Championship Experience:
The right-back made 21 League One appearances last season, scoring twice along the way. He played in seven further cup games.
Gabriel netted strikes against both League Two Forest Green Rovers and Premier League Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, as he played in a more advanced role on the right.
He was originally loaned out to Blackpool in their promotion-winning campaign, before making a permanent move to Bloomfield Road in the summer of 2021.
The ex-Scunthorpe United loanee spent two seasons in the second tier with Blackpool, after the Tangerines beat Lincoln City in the 2020/21 League One play-off final.
A Good Move for Both – Opinion
Everyone loves a cut-price deal, and with Jordan Gabriel’s contract set to expire next summer, he could leave Blackpool for a fee this summer instead.
Lincoln City know just what it’s like to sell someone with one year left on their contract, as they did with Sorensen this summer. Gabriel would be a great replacement for the Dane, just like he would be a good addition to Championship Oxford.
The Danish wing-back left the Imps earlier in the summer window, joining fellow SkyBet League One side Huddersfield Town for an undisclosed fee reportedly worth up to £500,000.
Speaking to reporter Jamie Johnson on the media day that marked the EFL fixture release, Lincoln’s 140th anniversary and the opening of the club’s new Community Hub, Skubala shifted focus to the job of replacing Sorensen.
The Imps have been linked to a move for Blackpool full-back Jordan Gabriel, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the upcoming season.
The Lincoln City head coach was asked if the sale of Lasse Sorensen meant that other key players, such as midfielder Ethan Erhahon, would be more likely to stay with the club.
