League Two newcomers Stockport County are 'favourites' to sign Notts County striker Kyle Wootton when his Meadow Lane contract expires in a few weeks.
The 25-year-old scored 20 goals in all competitions for County last season to help them finish fifth in the National League.
Stockport, who won the National League on the final day of the season, are keen to add to their attack for next season. According to respected journalist Alan Nixon, the former Scunthorpe United man will snub interest from Portsmouth to join Dave Challinor's side for the 2022/23 season.
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Wootton has been at Meadow Lane since 2019 when he originally signed on loan. After finding the net 15 times, Wootton and Notts reached the promotion final in 2020 but were beaten by Harrogate Town at Wembley Stadium.
The striker scored another 15 goals the following year before registering the best goalscoring season of his career last term. His contract expires this summer after 125 appearances and 52 goals, leaving County without one of their most important players.
Dion Kelly-Evans and Alex Lacey have also left the club since Notts' play-off defeat by Grimsby Town. On the plus side, Gateshead's top-scorer Macaulay Langstaff and Ebbsfleet wing-back Tobi Adebayo-Rowling have arrived as preparations for next season continue.
Ian Burchnall, the Notts boss at the end of the season, had hoped to keep Wootton. Burchnall, who has since left to take over at Forest Green Rovers, said: "I don't know (whether it was his last game for the club). We have talks with the players through the week and we need to sit down and discuss with them.
"That's for me and the players to discuss. Who knows? At the end of every season there's normally players in, players out and that's a normal part of the process."
Burchnall himself has been preparing for life in League One with his new club, and has recruited two players. Forest Green lifted the League Two title last season with Rob Edwards in charge and will compete in the third tier for the first time in their history.
Full-back Corey O'Keeffe's arrival from Rochdale was announced yesterday before Armani Little, who recently announced his departure from Torquay United, became his second signing on a two-year-deal.
