Video: Notts County’s Alan Hardy speaking on Team Talk

Notts County owner and chairman Alan Hardy has revealed the Magpies launched a bid to sign Ryan Yates on a permanent deal but were turned down.

Speaking exclusively on Team Talk, Mr Hardy said the 20-year-old midfielder would not be sold to the Magpies by Nottingham Forest as they wanted to keep him and his heart lies in playing for the Reds.

This comes amid reports Ryan Yates will now join League One side Scunthorpe United on loan until the end of the season and will sign a new three-year deal at Nottingham Forest.

Mr Hardy said: “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.

“His ambition is, I want to play alongside Joe Worrall against Arsenal in the FA Cup – that’s where Ryan Yates’ head is and we will try and help him on his journey.

“He’s on a journey to play for Forest because that’s where his heart really is.”

Mr Hardy also said Notts would be interested in preparing a bid for 23-year-old midfielder Jorge Grant who has scored 16 goals in 32 appearances for the Magpies this season.

He claimed he would need investment to take the club to the Championship.

Mr Hardy said: “Unless we get substantial investment, when you think how much Nigel Doughty and Fawaz Al-Hasawi put into Nottingham Forest, I haven’t got access to that sort of money.

“You look at the accounts for clubs like Burton Albion this year, they made a profit of £1.4 million.

“We’re starting to engage with the fans again and they’re starting to come back – that’s so important.

“But it’s not just hospitality and people coming through the turnstiles, you need to look at the whole thing across the business model so we restructured out shirt sponsorship for example so we had a different sponsor for every month.

“We have a problem with the FA at the moment because William Hill was our sponsor in the last round and technically we can’t have a new shirt sponsor.

“But it’s worth £40,000 to £50,000 for us and the FA are currently saying we’re not sure you can have a different sponsor but we can’t walk away from that.”

For more from Alan Hardy alongside former Forest, Notts and Mansfield defender John Thompson and the ever-present Charlie McParland, watch Team Talk tonight (January 10) at 8pm or on our catch-up service.

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