Transfer rumour: Blackpool ‘monitoring’ £1.2m ex-Preston North End man alongside Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and Reading

According to Football League World, the Seasiders are among a host of clubs keeping tabs on the midfielder, who plays his football for Shrewsbury Town in League One.

The 23-year-old left Deepdale during the summer to join the Shrews, signing a two-year contract.

It’s claimed his 17 appearances so far this season have attracted the interest of Michael Appleton’s men as well as their Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and Reading.

Bayliss has bagged three times for Steve Cotterill’s side, who sit 12th in League One, and produced another three assists.

After starting out his career with Coventry City, Bayliss completed a move to Preston in 2019 for a fee understood to be in the region of £1.2m.

However, the Leicester-born man was limited to making just 21 appearances over the course of three seasons and ended his final campaign with the club on loan with Wigan Athletic in League One.

Bayliss made 16 appearances for Wigan, only eight in the league, during an injury-hit spell.

While Blackpool have been on the hunt for a central midfielder for some time now, missing out on the likes of Cameron Brannagan, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Dan Barlaser during the summer, Appleton does have options in that position at this moment in time.

The Seasiders have 10 players on their books who are capable of playing in a midfield three, although this list includes the likes of Lewis Fiorini and Kevin Stewart, who are both long-term injury concerns, and Callum Connolly, who is currently required at right-back.

Appleton has recently brought in Liam Bridcutt and Grant Ward to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

Bridcutt and Ward are also joined in midfield by the likes of Keshi Anderson, who is close to a return from long-term injury, Sonny Carey, Kenny Dougall, Charlie Patino and Callum Wright.

It’s likely that defence is more of a pressing concern at this moment in time, while it can’t be ruled out Blackpool will be in the market for a striker once again after being linked with Colby Bishop and Ellis Simms during the summer.