Blackpool's attempts to sign former Reading midfielder Danny Drinkwater have gone 'dead in the water' according to boss Michael Appleton.

The Leicester City favourite spent last season on loan in Berkshire and played over 30 times as the Royals retained Championship status.

A free agent after his difficult spell at Chelsea came to an end over the summer, former Blackburn Rovers boss Appleton confirmed that the centre-midfielder was one of a few the Tangerines were looking at.

Speaking to the Blackpool Gazette, Appleton said: "That’s dead, that’s done. It’s ran its course.

Reading Chronicle:

“To be fair, the club went above and beyond to try and make that happen. We couldn’t have done any more, I couldn’t have had any better support from the club to try and make it happen. But that isn’t going to happen.

“You never close the door on anyone coming in, but I don’t see Danny coming to the club.”

Capped three times by England, the 32-year-old has played across three tiers of English football and had a spell in Turkey.

Until last season with Reading, the Premier League winner had failed to rack up 20 appearances in one season for five years.