Preston North End transfer gamble was worth every penny after £10m windfall: View | OneFootball

The deal the Lilywhites struck looks even better with hindsight

It was something of a gamble when Preston North End decided to dip into their transfer funds for former Port Vale striker Jordan Hugill in 2014.

He was far from a prolific goalscorer at that point in his career, having spent his early years in non-league with little professional experience on his CV.

However, he delivered two strong seasons for the Lilywhites in the Championship, prompting a high-value move to Premier League side West Ham United, a move that would leave Preston looking like the primary winners in the deal.

Both financially and in playing terms, it was a risk that paid off for Preston and was worth every penny of the initial gamble.

Preston plucked Hugill from nowhere

Hugill didn’t take the typical academy route into the professional game, turning out for the likes of Seaham Red Star, Whitby and Marske United early on in his career.

His first big move came when he left Marske to sign for Port Vale, then in League One.

In a loan spell at Gateshead in the fifth tier, Hugill netted five goals in seven games, before turning out 24 times in all competitions for his parent club in 2013/14, scoring five and providing one assist.

It was clear Hugill had an eye for goal, but in terms of professional experience he was far from a finished product, making his switch to Preston, for an undisclosed fee, a fairly big risk.

He performed well for Preston

Hugill spent the 2014/15 season on the outskirts of the first team, picking up substitute and cup appearances and also going out on loan to the likes of Tranmere Rovers and Hartlepool United.

It was in the following season that Hugill really established himself, making 29 Championship appearances, but he was yet to find his scoring streak, netting just three goals.

It would be the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons that solidified Preston’s initial risk as a successful, seeing Hugill net 12 and eight goals respectively in England’s second tier.

Still only 25 years old at this point, West Ham United decided they’d seen enough and launched a bid for him in the January of the 2017/18 season.

The Lilywhites cashed in a the perfect time

Although Preston were hesitant to let Hugill go — turning down a transfer request from him the previous summer — it proved a perfect time to sell in hindsight.

They netted around £10million in the move. It’s not public knowledge how much they paid the Valiants for him, but there is no doubt his West Ham move will have come at a substantial profit.

He made just three appearances for the Hammers and, save for a strong season with Queens Park Rangers in 2019/20, would never quite hit the same heights he did at Preston.

Having gambled on the striker initially, Preston got the best years out of him and sold him at the perfect time to extract a substantial profit.