KARANKA GETS TIED UP IN NOTTS
NEW Nottingham Forest boss Aitor Karanka has landed in the middle of a blazing row with neighbours Notts County.
League Two promotion-chasing County are second under manager Kevin Nolan and also into the FA Cup fourth round.
Their form has been spearheaded by the goals of Jorge Grant, and the combative midfield displays of Ryan Yates, who are both on season-long loans from Forest.
But Yates, 20, was yesterday recalled by the Championship outfit to sign a new two-year contract and is due to be loaned to League One highfliers Scunthorpe today.
Mirror Sport understands fellow League One promotion-chasers Bradford are also interested in 16-goal top-scorer and attacking midfielder Grant, 23, who has a release clause.
It threatens to totally derail County’s promotion dream under Nolan (with Grant, right) and has upset owner Alan Hardy, who this week tried and failed to buy Yates.
Forest rejected the Magpies’ two bids of up to £200,000 and refused to do business.
Owner Hardy said: “I haven’t got access to that sort of money.
“I made a bid which got turned down, they want to keep him and, in fairness to Ryan Yates, he’s been at Forest since he was nine.” Instead, Forest want Yates to play at a higher level before returning to them in pre-season. But it has caused enormous bad feeling at County, who fear Grant could be next to go. It is also an added distraction for Karanka (left).
The Spaniard took training at Forest for the first time yesterday ahead of Saturday’s televised home game with Aston Villa.
Combative midfielder Yates, whose contract was up this summer, had scored six goals for the Magpies.
Grant has been a hit at County since a loan spell there in the second half of last season.