Leeds United man features: 5 free agents who Preston North End must consider ASAP | OneFootball

Preston endured a frustrating season once more as they failed to sustain a push for the play-off places under Ryan Lowe.

Whilst a tenth place finish isn’t disastrous by any means, some fans were unhappy with the style of play, and it did feel like a missed opportunity as they ended the season with five consecutive losses.

So, North End are gearing up for a huge summer window, and Lowe will need to make improvements to the squad as he looks to have them pushing for the play-offs next season.

All the teams above Preston in the table scored at least 12 goals more than Lowe’s men, and conceding 67 times isn’t a great record either.

Therefore, it’s fair to say that the boss will be targeting new additions across all areas of the pitch, but it’s unlikely he will be operating with a budget that is comparable to the big hitters in the league.

With that in mind, the free agent market could be one for Preston to target, and here we look at FIVE players who should be on their radar…

Liam Cooper

Leeds United skipper Liam Cooper is out of contract in the summer, and it seems highly unlikely that he will be offered a new deal, even if they do lose the play-off final to Southampton.

At 32, Cooper isn’t a long-term answer, but he could do a job over the next year or two for Presto, and his ability to play in the middle of a back three or on the left should appeal.

As mentioned, next season has to be about trying to reach the play-offs, so Lowe needs to identify some players who can make an instant impact. Cooper is a player with plenty of Championship experience, he has won promotion before, and he could become an important figure in the team, although there is sure to be competition for his signature.

Oliver Norwood

This would definitely be a difficult deal to do, with Hull, Sunderland and Watford thought to be tracking Oliver Norwood, but he is another proven winner at this level.

Norwood has been one of the standout midfielders in the Championship over the past decade and beyond, and he has four promotions on his CV.

He would add know-how and a winning mentality to the dressing room and he is still capable of controlling games in the second tier, with his quality on the ball an upgrade on what Preston have right now.

Financially, this may be a tough one to do, but a longer contract could swing things in Preston’s favour and Norwood would know that he would get game time at Deepdale.

Joe Williams

Another midfielder, Joe Williams is out of contract at Bristol City this summer and it has been claimed that Preston are keen on the 27-year-old.

He would add bite to the middle of the park and he is another that wouldn’t take time to adapt to the Championship, which is a positive.

The Robins paid in excess of £1m for Williams a few years back, so to get him on a free would be shrewd business for Preston and he could quickly become a regular under Lowe, who will know exactly what the midfielder is all about.

Josh Murphy

As outlined above, Preston need more attacking threat if they are to push for the top six and one man who would add a spark is Josh Murphy.

The 29-year-old was Oxford’s play-off hero as he scored twice in their win over Bolton, but with his deal expiring, the U’s face a battle to convince him to stay.

Derby and Portsmouth have been linked with Murphy, so he shouldn’t be out of Preston’s range.

One potential issue is if Lowe persists with wing-backs, it may not allow Murphy to play in his best position, which is as a winger. However, he is comfortable in various attacking roles, and his speed and direct style would offer the team a different dynamic in the final third.

Daniel Jebbison

This would be an ambitious move, but Daniel Jebbison is out of contract at Sheffield United this summer and, despite talk that he would sign an extension, that still hasn’t happened.

The 20-year-old is highly rated, so there would be a lot of clubs keen on him if he did depart, but the reality is that he is at a stage in his career where he needs to be playing week in, week out to fulfil his potential.

That could happen at Deepdale and Jebbison would bring athleticism and energy to the North End attack, whilst they could be the perfect club for him to showcase his talent on a regular basis.