Everton decision day revealed as Preston battle Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and others | OneFootball

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A decision on the future of Everton striker Tom Cannon is expected on Wednesday with Preston North End still leading the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland, and Stoke City in the race to sign him, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

The Toffees are said to be demanding a £1 million loan fee for the 20-year-old, who impressed with Preston in the Championship last term - scoring eight goals in 21 appearances for the Deepdale outfit.

A number of Championship clubs are looking to add more forward firepower in the final month of the summer window and the Premier League loan market represents a chance for them to get a quality striker without breaking the bank.

Given his performances last season, it's no surprise that Cannon is one of those that is attracting the most attention.

According to Nixon, Wednesday, Sunderland, and Stoke are among those alongside North End in the race for the Everton academy product.

The Toffees are said to be holding out for a £1m loan fee for the Republic of Ireland age-group international, which Birmingham and Blackburn are both unwilling to pay.

Stoke are thought to be willing to stump up the cash, though it remains to be seen whether the signing of Wesley has changed things, while the Black Cats are believed to be considering a permanent move.

Tom Cannon transfer update

Nixon has reported that Preston remain the frontrunners in the race for Cannon but it is not done yet.

He said: "In the last furlong and leading. But you can’t say with certainty that they don’t get done on the line".

Nixon added that a decision is expected to be made about his future on Wednesday.

When is Tom Cannon out of contract at Everton?

Cannon signed a new three-year deal with Everton in 2022, which means he is under contract at Goodison Park until the summer of 2025.

The 20-year-old has yet to really get a chance to prove himself at first team level for the Toffees - playing just 32 minutes of senior football across three appearances - but his parent club will likely have a decision to make next year.

If the Premier League side believe Cannon has a future with them then they will surely look to offer him a new deal and if they don't, then next summer would represent their last chance to get real value for him.

How he performs out on loan, assuming he does head back to the Championship, will likely be a key factor in their decision.

What has Tom Cannon had to say?

Ahead of pre-season, Cannon made it clear that he wanted to prove himself at Everton and fight his way into Sean Dyche's plans for 2023/24.

He told Lancs Live: "I want to come back for pre-season, impress the manager and hopefully show him what I can do, and then get myself in the squad. Scoring goals with the Under-21s is different from men’s football. Now I’ve gone out to the Championship and scored, hopefully the manager has seen that.

“It’s my aim to score in front of the crowd at Goodison. There’s nothing more that I want to do. I’ve gone out on loan and scored at Deepdale. But I know it would be a different buzz scoring at Goodison Park in front of 40,000. I’m looking forward to that and I will try as hard as I can do that.”