Preston North End must aim higher as links to 9-goal League One midfielder emerge: Opinion | OneFootball

Following yet another mid-table Championship campaign in 2022-23, Preston North End will need to make improvements to their squad to push for the play-offs - but that will be difficult on a lower end second tier budget.

The Lilywhites have not spent a transfer fee since Ryan Lowe was appointed as manager in December 2021 - even Freddie Woodman's arrival from Newcastle United appears to have not cost a penny as Lowe revealed he hasn't spent any money whatsoever recently - and you'd imagine that his transfer budget will be on the small side once again.

The free agents and loan markets will likely be scoured and one player who may need to be replaced is Daniel Johnson, who is attracting interest from overseas but ex-PNE manager Alex Neil also reportedly wants to bring him to Stoke City.

His replacement though, should he decide to depart Deepdale, could come in the form of Lewis Wing - a player who has been linked to North End in the past and it appears they are once more.

According to a tweet published by Sunday Mirror Sports Editor Darren Witcoop, the Lilywhites are one of a number of clubs interested in Wing as his contract at Wycombe expires this summer.

The Chairboys have already confirmed the 27-year-old departure from the club with a move to the Championship expected following his nine goal, five assist campaign in League One.

It isn't just PNE who are reportedly keen though as Rotherham United, who Wing played for previously on loan from Middlesbrough, and Queens Park Rangers - managed by the midfielder's former boss Gareth Ainsworth - also touted as admirers.

Football League World exclusively reported that North End were one of the clubs looking into Wing's availability ahead of the summer back in March, and now he is confirmed to be a free agent this summer it appears that a closer view is being taken - but it might not be a good signing for Ryan Lowe's side.

Why should Preston North End steer clear of a move for Lewis Wing?

Should Johnson leave PNE then the Lilywhites of course will need to be in the market for a replacement - if Lowe sticks with his trusted system then another 'running eight' has to be a priority to compete with Ali McCann and Alan Browne - and Josh Onomah if he stays.

Wing would fit that role and he quite clearly knows where the back of the net is, with his striking prowess from outside the box a real positive - he has done that most recently at League One level but also at times in the Championship too - but is he good enough for a team that wants to be challenging for the play-offs? It's questionable.

He didn't come through the normal academy route as a lot of time was spent in non-league in the North East of England, but after an outstanding year at Shildon in the ninth tier of English football, where he scored 37 times from midfield, Middlesbrough took a chance on him in 2017 and just over a year later, he was starting regularly in the Championship after a loan at League Two Yeovil Town.

Wing had a season best goal tally of seven for Boro in the 2019-20 season, but soon enough he was being loaned out to the likes of Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday before eventually ending up at Wycombe on a permanent basis.

There's definitely a case to be made for Wing deserving a Championship move, but North End could probably be more ambitious.

A young loanee from the Premier League who can develop and improve over the course of a season may be more fitting for North End considering the other free agents on the market in midfield don't particular inspire.

Wing could end up at PNE and he could prove people wrong and be a success, but there's no resale value if they do tie him down and the Lilywhites should aim to go back to how they were a number of years ago by taking punts on young under-23's players from Premier League clubs who aren't getting chances.