This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Nottingham Forest face a decision over right-back Jordan Gabriel, with Blackpool and Portsmouth both keen on signing him, according to the Mirror’s live transfer blog (06/06, 13:07pm).

The defender impressed while on loan with the Tangerines last season and it seems the Reds now face a decision with interest growing.

So, should they look to cash in on him or keep him at the club?

We quizzed our FLW writers...

George Dagless

I think they should be looking to keep him around next season at the City Ground.

Gabriel had a fine season at Blackpool last year and he looks ready to challenge up in the Championship, either with the Pool or with Forest.

With Cyrus Christie back at Fulham there is a spot down the right-hand side of the defence and I would argue Gabriel has every chance of staking a claim to feature for them in pre-season at least.

If Chris Hughton then decides he is not quite good enough yet then maybe there is a decision to make but, until then, I expect him to be given time to show what he can do at Forest.

Jordan Rushworth

For me, this is a pretty simple one and I would be surprised if Nottingham Forest look to allow Jordan Gabriel to leave the club on a permanent deal this summer.

The 22-year-old has a lot of quality and he enjoyed an excellent loan spell on loan at Blackpool last season to help them gain promotion to the Championship. He looks like he could have the potential to now step up to the Championship and potentially play an important role in Forest’s squad.

However, the defender will likely be keen to ensure that he gets game time now next season if he is to stay around at the City Ground. Chris Hughton will get the chance to take a look at him in pre-season and then he will have to assess whether he feels he is ready to be a main option for him next term.

If Hughton decides that Gabriel is not going to be a regular starter for him at Forest, then the defender might be keen to move on. If that happens there will be the argument that it might be best to cash in on him while his stock is fairly high. Personally, I would be trying to keep hold of him.

Chris Thorpe

I think they would be wise to keep hold of him for the time being if truth be told as I think he has more to offer in a Forest shirt.

Sometimes you have to show patience with young players in order for them to develop further and I think selling him would give off the wrong message entirely.

He comes back to the City Ground after a brilliant loan spell with Blackpool and he now has a promotion on his CV to boot.

I think Hughton would be wise to take a good look at him in pre-season and then go from there.

Selling him without hesitation would be a terrible decision from the Reds.