Any hope Bristol City had of signing Blackpool frontman Jerry Yates this summer has ended with the 24-year-old signing a new long-term contract at Bloomfield Road.
Yates was one of the most in-demand forwards across the Championship with the Robins having monitored him extensively throughout 2021 and Nottingham Forest, West Brom and Blackburn Rovers were the others also credited with an interest.
It's unclear exactly how far City's interest had got in the 24-year-old, who scored 23 goals in 54 games across all competitions, as the Tangerines were promoted to the second tier, but he was very much under consideration.
However, Blackpool kept the valuation of their top scorer high and their promotion only increased that beyond the £5million mark rendering any sale unlikely given the financial climate during the pandemic.
The 24-year-old will be at Ashton Gate for the start of the new Championship season on August 7 but lining up for Blackpool after penning his new three-year deal with the option for a further 12 months.
"I’m delighted to be extending my stay here and really looking forward to the future,” Yates said.
"Last season was the highlight of my career so far. To gain promotion at Wembley, particularly given the tough start we had, was a fantastic achievement by everyone at the club.
“For the owner and gaffer to show so much faith in me and offer me a new deal is a nice feeling. I’ll work to repay that faith on the pitch over the course of next season and beyond. I can’t wait for what’s to come.”
City are very much in the market for a new striker but Nigel Pearson has confessed they will likely need to sell first before they're able to add to their three signings this summer.
Rotherham's Michael Smith is increasingly looking like the Robins' primary target but the 29-year-old would command a fee as he has 12 months remaining on his contract.
Aston Villa's Keinan Davis is not thought to be under consideration, despite the 23-year-old having interest across the Championship and having held talks with Stoke City over a loan deal.
Pearson would prefer a more experienced and known Championship quantity to lead the line following Famara Diedhiou's exit on a free transfer.
