Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton has admitted to Bristol Live that the Gas are in a difficult situation after Lincoln City made a bid for the striker Brandon Hanlan.

The Imps are well in the market for a new striker this summer and they recently had a bid for the 24-year-old turned down by the Gas, with Barton recently admitting that he thinks the player has had his head turned by the interest.

Hanlan is a player that Bristol Rovers were forced to pay £150,000 for at a tribunal involving his former club Gillingham and Barton and co aren't keen to let the striker leave for anything less than that figure.

Now Barton has made the following admission about the state of play involving Hanlan and the two clubs at present:

"We've got a difficult situation. 

"He's aware of his interest, as all players are. We're not naive enough to think people don't make contact.

"You need everyone available and at the minute, but you'll have to ask Bran. Through injury or choice he's not available and he wants to go and play for Lincoln.

"The problem I've got is he we're not getting offered the money we've paid for him and we haven't got any other options."

The frontman originally signed for the Sky Bet League Two club back in September of last year and scored nine goals last season as the Gas were relegated from League One.

He is now into the final year of his contract at the Memorial Stadium.

The Verdict 

Barton is a tough position because he has a lack of forward options as it is and to add to that, the player is clearly keen on moving on to join Lincoln.

The ball has now firmly been thrust in the direction of the Imps, with the League One side needing to pay the asking price so that they can bring in the striker.

There is money to be spent at Sincil Bank but there will be some question marks over whether they feel Hanlan is worth more than Rovers paid for him originally.

It would certainly be interesting to see how much he would go for in the end, as it appears likely that he could depart.