Preston North End failed to utilise West Ham United's £10m gift | OneFootball

When Jordan Hugill swapped Preston for West Ham in 2018, North End failed to make the most of their hefty windfall

For a Preston North End side who've never played in the Premier League, competing in the Championship against a raft of sides who've had top-flight money behind them has always been a tall order.

Raising funds from player sales has always been Preston's best chance of bridging that financial gap, but getting the players in good enough to do that is a thankless task.

That would probably explain why, since returning to the Championship in 2015/16, they've never been able to break into the Championship top six, despite posting six top-half finishes since.

They simply haven't been able to add that wow factor to see them over the line, but that's not to say they haven't had some good players in recent history.

Emil Riis posted a 20 goal season in 2021/22, while Sean Maguire, Daniel Johnson, Will Keane, Callum Robinson and Jordan Hugill have all posted double-figure goalscoring seasons for North End.

It's the latter of that quintet which probably leaves the sourest taste in Preston mouths, as the Lilywhites squandered a glorious opportunity after his departure.

Hugill was Preston's record sale

Hugill's move had been a long time coming, with North End dismissing a transfer request he submitted in August 2017, but a matter of months later he finally forced his way out of Deepdale when the window re-opened.

Naturally, selling mid-season wasn't ideal for Preston, but the hefty £10m fee they received certainly went some way to cushioning the blow as Hugill departed for West Ham.

With the move materialising on transfer deadline day, Preston never really had a chance to bring in a proper replacement, and looking back, that was probably a costly decision.

North End finished the 2017/18 season just two points outside the play-off places, and that's the closest they've come to breaking into the top six since getting back into the second tier, leaving them with a burning feeling of 'what if'.

Turning down what is believed to be a record sale was always likely to be tough for Preston, but it was the fact it took them so long to replace Hugill which probably haunts Preston fans the most.

The most surprising aspect was that it took so long to sign a true replacement, with Riis being the first proper striker North End signed for a fee afterward, and he only signed in October 2020.

Hugill's career nosedived after leaving Deepdale

It would be amiss to suggest Hugill has excelled since leaving Deepdale, and in hindsight, maybe the frontman would admit he was hasty in leaving Preston.

It's fair to say his West Ham career fell flat on its face, playing just three times and a total of 22 minutes for the Hammers before he ended up becoming a bit of a journeyman.

After leaving Preston, Hugill has played for seven clubs (including West Ham), and incredibly, for none of them has he scored more goals than he did for North End.

The towering frontman now resides at Rotherham in League One goal this season, which perfectly highlights his fall from grace.

It's a sight that will please Preston, who'll feel they cashed in at the right time, but they'll also be tinged with a little regret.