Preston North End news hands Sheffield United, Plymouth and Wrexham transfer boost | OneFootball

Preston North End have been dealt a blow in their attempts to sign Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard, per The Lancashire Post, in what will be seen as a boost to the hopes of other EFL clubs – including Cardiff City, Hull City, Plymouth Argyle, Swansea City, Sheffield United, and Wrexham.

The 22-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan with Northampton Town, where he was part of the Cobblers squad that won automatic promotion to League One in the 2022/23 season.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano reported back in March that North End held an interest in the midfielder, who was also on the radar of Swansea City and Plymouth Argyle.

Fellow Championship clubs such as Cardiff City, Sheffield United, and Hull City, as well as ambitious League One side Wrexham have all been credited as holding an interest in the young Scotsman too.

Preston suffer Leonard setback

North End boss Ryan Lowe is hoping to put together a Preston side that can maintain and see through a play-off push next season, and one player he wanted to be a part of that squad was Brighton's Leonard.

However, according to a report in the Lancashire Post, a summer move for the 22-year-old is now not expected to materialise.

They report that the Scotland youth international is expected to have a permanent move away from the Amex commissioned this summer, but Deepdale does not appear to be his destination.

The report confirms that talks between Leonard and Preston have taken place, but an agreement could not be struck between the two parties, with the issue of Leonard's wages believed to be the main sticking point.

Football Insider have reported that a fee as low as £300,000 would be all it takes to sign Leonard, with the Seagulls not expected to stand in his way.

Leonard would be a low-risk, high-reward signing

For a fee of just £300,000, there would be no real pressure for the Scotsman to hit the ground running and set the Championship alight straight away.

Instead, he can develop at his own pace and away from the spotlight that a sizeable fee brings, and could be looked back upon as one of the biggest bargains of this summer's transfer window.

Having displayed his creative ability with five goals and six assists for Northampton last season, he's undoubtedly a player with a lot of talent, as he caught the eye of clubs from abroad too.

Polish side Legia Warsaw and Austrian outfit Sturm Graz are both reportedly interested in Leonard, as an example of his ability catching the eye of clubs across the continent.

He's also a versatile midfield player too, having lined up as a traditional central midfielder player in a flat midfield line, or as a more attacking number 10 player sitting behind the striker.

This news will understandably come as a disappointment to Preston fans, as they await the first moves their club will make this summer, but it doesn't appear at this stage that Leonard will be one of them.