Bid in for Rotherham United striker Jerry Yates ... but it's not from Swindon Town

The Millers striker has enjoyed a prolific loan spell at League Two Swindon Town this season and the Robins would love to take him back to the County Ground on a permanent deal.

Other clubs, including League One Blackpool, are also interested in the 23-year-old forward who came through Rotherham’s youth ranks.

“We have had a couple of phone calls. We’ve received a proper bid,” boss Paul Warne said.

“I haven’t actually been told, as I speak to you at 3.30 on a Tuesday afternoon, that it’s Swindon who have put a formal bid in. I know their manager, Richie Wellens, is keen on signing Jerry but I haven’t physically seen any bid.”

Wellens told BBC Wiltshire yesterday: “Rotherham have received a bid from another club.

“We will put a bid in over the next couple of days but the only problem is that it won’t be as much as the other club has offered. It will be a little bit away from it.

“We will see if we can develop that in the next couple of weeks and then the decision will come down to Jerry.”

Rotherham are in a strong bargaining position as they exercised an option earlier this summer to extend Yates’ contract by 12 months and are likely to wait for other teams to show their hand before selling.

Swindon, for whom Yates bagged 14 goals in 35 appearances as they won promotion as champions, said last weekend that they would be submitting an offer.

The attacker, from Doncaster, has played at times for Rotherham in the Championship and League One since 2015 without ever fully making a breakthrough, scoring five goals in 52 appearances.

The Millers will play in the Championship next season following their own promotion from League One and are willing to part with the centre-forward if the price is right.

“At this moment in time, there is a bid in,” Warne added. “We’ll speak to everybody, as we always do in these cases: to our chairman, to the bidding club, to Jerry, to his agent.”

Meanwhile, out-of-contract right-back Billy Jones, aged 33, has agreed to extend his stay at AESSEAL New York Stadium and another player whose deal has expired, goalkeeper Lewis Price, 35, is close to accepting new terms.

“It’s not a complicated chat,” said Warne. “They’re both brilliant lads. They’re great in the dressing room, which is essential.

“Billy has agreed to re-sign and Lewis and I are an elbow tap away from an agreement. There are no dramas there.

“They didn’t play a great deal this season. Billy had a lot of injuries and Dan’s (Iversen) form kept Pricey out. But what those two did away from matchdays was a massive part in our success.”

Rotherham are already training for next season and Warne, who says he has been given an indication that the Championship campaign could start on September 12, is finding the social distancing caused by coronavirus hard to handle.

“I struggled a bit with it when the lads all came in for training,” he said. “It was hard not being able to shake the hands of the players and staff and congratulate them on promotion.”

Millers winger Chiedozie Ogbene, after terrorising League One defences since his move from Brentford last summer, could be in line for a Republic of Ireland call-up

The Football Association of Ireland have begun the ‘eligibility process’ for the 23-year-old flyer who was born in Nigeria before moving to Ireland as a youngster.