Josh Harrop could be heading for Preston North End exit door

The Lilywhites are open to the idea of letting the former Manchester United player leave this summer.

Harrop only had limited opportunities in the first half of the last season.

Then in January he went on loan to Ipswich, a spell which did not get him a great deal of football.

The interest in Harrop is from League One but is not believed to be Ipswich.

It is four years since Harrop joined PNE from United in a deal reported to be around the £600,000 mark.

In that time he has been in and out of the side, with 31 Championship starts and 52 appearances off the bench.

More at home in the No.10 role, a lot of Harrop’s games have seen him play coming inside from the wing.

Bad luck cursed Harrop in autumn 2018 when a torn anterior cruciate ligament ended his season prematurely.

What North End will have to consider with Harrop is the size of their squad.

Their registered squad is limited to 25 players who are over the age of 21 or on loan.

Players under 21 do not count towards the EFL limits and clubs can have an unlimited number.

At the moment PNE have 25 players aged over 21 or on loan, that including Harrop and Josh Earl who is back after a loan at Burton.

Potential new arrivals Daniel Iversen and Matthew Olosunde have to be fitted in, so too a new striker.

Clubs can keep players without registering them but that is a waste of a wage and not something the Lilywhites would want to do.

With Iversen hopefully coming back for the season from Leicester, Connor Ripley is surplus to requirements and would open up a space in the squad if he left.

There has been some interest shown in Earl but North End are minded to hold on to him as competition for Greg Cunningham on the left.

Although the ideal scenario is for all business to be done early, plenty of time remains for the squad to be shaped.

The transfer window is open until August 31, that three weeks or so after the season starts in the EFL.

PNE return to pre-season training on Thursday, with the first friendly at Bamber Bridge on Saturday, July 10.

After the Brig game, they head to Scotland for a training camp, during which they will face St Johnstone and Celtic.

On their return, friendlies with Bolton and Wigan have been lined up, the Bolton clash being played at Leyland’s County Ground.

There is room in North End’s schedule for another friendly, with them looking for a game at Deepdale