Preston North End braced for transfer interest in talented midfielder | OneFootball

Preston are braced for interest in one of their hottest young prospects after lighting up the FA Youth Cup

The latest Mawene off the Preston North End production line, Theo Mawene, son of North End legend Youl, is courting interest from big clubs after his FA Youth Cup performances.

That's according to Alan Nixon, who claims that North End's next round tie against Manchester United will draw a big crowd of scouts, most of whom will be there to watch Mawene.

The Mawene family have a rich affiliation with Preston, with dad Youl making just shy of 200 appearances for the Deepdale club, while Theo's brother, Noah, has also appeared for the first team before heading out on loan to Newport County.

It's Theo who appears to be the most exciting prospect though, and while the 17-year-old midfielder made a first-team debut at Deepdale last season, he may not get the chance to make too many more if his performances continue.

With every club in the land eyeing up the next big thing to break through into the first team, Preston hold all the aces over a potential move for Mawene, and his FA Youth Cup performances have certainly done his reputation no harm at all.

Mawene caught the eye with a stunning solo goal against Liverpool in the last round of the cup, and that's caught the interest of many clubs , who will be in attendance for their tie against Manchester United in the next round.

Mawene made his senior debut for North End last season against Leicester City as a late substitute, in which he actually finished the game on the pitch alongside his brother, Noah.

It seems that Theo has the world at his feet at the moment, and Nixon reports that North End could sell him on for a huge fee before he even plays another first team game for the club.

Without financial backing, Preston rely heavily on their academy

Without the riches that come with a stint in the Premier League, Preston are already on the back foot in the Championship as most of their rivals have been in the top-flight recently.

That places extra emphasis on Preston to produce some talent of their own, and the club have taken extra steps to ensure that is the case.

Kian Best has been a recent example of how North End will hand out opportunities to their talented youngsters, while Felipe Rodríguez-Gentile is another young player highly thought of at the club.

Holding onto them is always likely to be difficult for a club of Preston's size, but as they can offer them first team football, they do at least have something on their side to keep their young talent.