Preston North End transfer state of play as Ryan Lowe eyes crucial final business

Preston North End are taking their summer transfer business down to the wire with manager Ryan Lowe seeking further additions before close of play on September 1st. It’s six in - Jack Whatmough, Mads Frokjaer, Will Keane, Duane Holmes, Layton Stewart and Calvin Ramsay - and one out at present for the Lilywhites.

Bambo Diaby was sold to Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee, while young duo James Pradic and Finlay Cross-Adair have been loaned to Bamber Bridge and Annan Athletic respectively. Of course, Daniel Johnson, Josh Onomah, Matthew Olosunde, Troy Parrott, Liam Delap and Tom Cannon are all gone from last season’s squad too.

PNE will look to get some of their other young players out on loan, with Lowe keen to get Josh Seary to League Two. North End had plans to loan Lewis Leigh out last January, so he is another player the club could look to get game time. Senior exits are not envisaged as things stand.

On the incoming front, a striker is very much now the primary focus. The door is not entirely closed on bolstering other positions, but the cost involved in recruiting a centre-forward will dictate that. Preston moved for two left wing-backs earlier in the window, but were unsuccessful in their pursuits of Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Yasser Larouci - who were snapped up by Reims and Sheffield United in the end. There were links to SC Cambuur’s Alex Bangura earlier this month, but he is not a player Preston have spoken to.

The emergence of Kian Best on to the first team scene has left North End prioritising a centre-forward over anything else, with Will Keane currently the only fit senior striker. September is the target return date for Emil Riis, while Layton Stewart is not yet fit and Ched Evans will miss half the season. As has been reported all summer, Everton’s Tom Cannon is the number one target for PNE.

It has been a seemingly never ending saga, but there are only nine days left for the Cannon pursuit to drag on. By all accounts the player is keen to come back to Deepdale and North End are willing to cough up the money required to land him from the Toffees - amid reports of a hefty loan fee. Other clubs to be linked, Leeds United and Sunderland, appear to have moved on to other targets. Everton, though, are yet to sanction another loan exit and Preston cannot afford to finish the window without a new striker in the building.

Lowe said after Saturday’s win that North End are ready to complete business, but are waiting to get the nod from other clubs - who must get their own house in order first. When asked if North End have deal(s) agreed in principle, he said: “Yeah, we have. It’s literally: ‘Yeah go on you can take him, there’s the papers, get them signed’. But, until we get that, there’s nothing we can do.”

Those comments certainly match with the ongoings at Everton, who are targeting Southampton striker Che Adams and waiting for new attacking recruit Youssef Chermiti to be match ready. Preston have had a few false dawns on the Cannon front, with a frustrating two weeks for all involved following the Whatmough signing.

Time will tell how long PNE hold out for Cannon, but it’s understood the club are actively pursuing other targets now - both loans and permanents - as the window approaches its final week. Ryan Lowe does not like doing business on transfer deadline day and will want to avoid that scenario at all costs, but the form of Cannon last season does not make it an easy one to walk away from while there remains a possibility.