Huddersfield Town in talks with Preston North End over defender transfer deal | OneFootball

North End could be allowing Whatmough to head towards the Deepdale exit door

Preston North End defender Jack Whatmough could be heading to Huddersfield Town, with the ambitious League One outfit eyeing up the experienced centre-back.

The Terriers have been incredibly active in the transfer market so far, adding seven fresh faces to the squad of new manager Lee Grant ahead of their 2025-26 League One season.

Four of those additions have been centre-backs, but with plenty of faces departing over the summer and Radinio Balker a continuous fitness concern, the West Yorkshire outfit look to be eyeing up another defensive option.

Huddersfield Town plotting Jack Whatmough raid as Preston North End talks start

According to a report from Alan Nixon via Patreon, Huddersfield are now in the running for Jack Whatmough, who has one year left on his contract at Deepdale.

Nixon claims that the two clubs are discussing a deal to take Whatmough over the Pennines, and the expected arrival of Brighton's Odeluga Offiah for Paul Heckingbottom could allow North End to let the 28-year-old depart after two years with the club.

Whatmough joined PNE from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2023, having handed in his notice to the Latics to terminate his contract after his wages were paid late for a second straight month under the previous tumultuous ownership of the club.

He penned a three-year contract at Deepdale, but Whatmough has never been a consistent first-choice defender for PNE, playing just 22 times in the Championship in his debut season and he was restricted to just 16 league outings last season, with the last few months of the campaign spent on the sidelines due to a calf injury picked up in FA Cup action against Wycombe Wanderers in February.

With Lewis Gibson arriving in January and Offiah expected to come into the fold at PNE too, Whatmough's exit could be sanctioned, although a fee is expected to be paid for his services, as per Nixon's report.

Jack Whatmough interest could point towards Lee Grant's Huddersfield Town plans

It's fair to say that Lee Grant has strengthened his centre-back options markedly this summer, with the permanent additions of Sean Roughan, Murray Wallace and Joe Low adding to the loan capture of Aston Villa's Josh Feeney.

The Terriers did lose Matty Pearson and Tom Lees over the summer, as well as Josh Ruffels who could operate on the left-hand side of a back three, but on paper, they look to be well-stocked in that department now.

With Whatmough lined up though, it may indicate that the club are looking to sell the injury-prone Balker, but it may also point towards Grant lining up with a three-at-the-back system - one which Town played for much of the 2024-25 season.

Roughan and Wallace would very much be left-hand siders in that system, but as far as defenders in the middle of a trio go, Whatmough at League One level would be a very good option for Huddersfield to be able to call upon.