Joe Nuttall looks set to leave Rovers after two seasons at the club.

The striker hasn’t featured for Rovers senior side in pre-season since scoring the winning goal in the opening friendly at Barrow.

League One Blackpool looks set to be his destination, on a permanent move, with Seasiders boss Simon Grayson knowing Nuttall from his time watching Rovers Under-23s.

Nuttall wasn’t involved when the two sides met at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, but scored 24 hours later against Southport as he finished the close season with five goals in five games.

Blackpool have money to spend after selling full back Marc Bola to Championship side Middlesbrough over the weekend, with Nuttall set to supplement their attack ahead of the new season. 

“My phone rings practically daily, but mostly teams thinking they can take him on loan and not pay much money, trying their luck really,” Rovers boss Tony Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“I’m not sure how far down the line we are but I’m sure there will be an announcement on his future very soon.”

Nuttall finished last season with three goals in 18 appearances, but only two of those came as a starter in the Championship.

He had looked likely to leave on loan in January, with several suitors in League One, but Rovers’ failure to land a new striker, and goals in wins over Ipswich and Millwall, saw him stay with the club.

However, the arrival of Sam Gallagher has pushed Nuttall further down the pecking order.

Nuttall arrived at Rovers as a trialist in the summer of 2017 and a hatful of goals for the Under-23s in their pre-season friendlies same him offered a deal.

He quickly established himself in Damien Johnson’s side and finished that season as the top scorer in Premier League 2 football.

Added to that, he scored on his senior debut, a Checkatrade Trophy win over Stoke City, as well as his league debut against Fleetwood and first FA Cup outing in the win over Barnet.

Rovers turned down permanent bids in January, but the club opted to allow him to depart, despite still having two years left on his contract.