"Should be going for this" - Preston North End urged to rival Coventry City & Southampton for transfer | OneFootball

FLW's PNE fan pundit wants to see Kesler-Hayden at Deepdale again next season

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

After a stellar campaign on loan at Preston North End, Kaine Kesler-Hayden is attracting significant attention in the summer transfer market.

Coventry City are reportedly preparing a bid in excess of £5 million for the Aston Villa man, while Southampton have also entered the race, despite managerial uncertainty.

Preston, meanwhile, remain hopeful of bringing the 22-year-old back to Deepdale permanently, following a season in which he made 44 appearances, contributed five goals, and was named the club’s Player of the Season.

With Villa open to selling Kesler-Hayden in order to bolster their financial position under profit and sustainability regulations, Championship clubs know this is a rare opportunity to secure a Premier League-calibre player still on the rise.

But with competition increasing and the fee substantial by PNE’s standards, questions remain about whether the club can - or should - stretch its budget to secure the deal.

Preston North End, Coventry and Southampton in race for Aston Villa's Kaine Kesler-Hayden

Football League World spoke to designated PNE expert Darren Watson to get his perspective on Kesler-Hayden’s impact and whether the club should make an ambitious move to keep him.

“I definitely think that Preston obviously should be going for this,” Watson told FLW.

“He was player of the season here at Deepdale and has won many other awards, probably one of our standout players, but again it goes back to how many decent loan signings have Preston North End had?

“We've had some absolutely brilliant and amazing loan signings over the past. You've got to look obviously, going back to Alvaro Fernandez, who we had on loan from Manchester United. Obviously he's at Benfica at the moment - but reports are coming out now that Real Madrid want this young kid, and again we maybe had the option to buy him when he was at Manchester United, or get him again on loan.

“We've had so many players that are now big stars in football, or going to be big stars. They have been on loan and Kaine Kesler-Hayden is one of them. I do strongly believe that he is that good, but again, we obviously have to go out and put the cash forward if you want to have these type of players.

“Obviously, if he's £5 million, that's a lot to Preston North End. If we can get someone on a free, then the club will do that, because that's the club's way, but we need to go out, and we need to start spending the money, and you know, showing that we want to build a team of decent quality and a decent young hungry team that could go out and challenge for promotion in the Championship.”

Preston’s transfer policy will be tested as Kesler-Hayden decision looms

The assessment is a reminder of the value Kesler-Hayden brought to a Preston side that narrowly avoided relegation.

His consistency, versatility, and maturity made him a standout performer in a turbulent season, and fans are right to hope for a permanent return. Yet, as ever, the financial reality at Deepdale looms large.

While Coventry and Southampton appear more prepared to meet Villa’s valuation, the question for Preston is whether their long-term ambitions can be achieved without making bold investments in players like Kesler-Hayden.

His trajectory suggests he won’t be short of suitors for long.

If PNE