Preston North End backed to table fresh Portsmouth transfer bid - he can fix key PNE issue | OneFootball

FLW's Preston fan pundit has identified their dream signing for the Lilywhites this summer.

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...

Preston North End have been busy this summer in an attempt to significantly bolster Paul Heckingbottom's squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The Lilywhites danced as close to relegation as they have done in 2024/25 since their promotion from League One in 2015.

North End were able to survive the drop by a single point on the final day of the season, and judging by the number of new arrivals already in place at Deepdale ahead of the new campaign, it's clear that the club's hierarchy is intent on that not being the case once again come May next year.

Daniel Jebbison, Odel Offiah, Thierry Small, Daniel Iversen and Pol Valentin are just some of those who've penned deals with the club this summer, but who might still be out there that would be a dream signing for the club?

"Entice him with a deal" - Preston urged to complete signing of Portsmouth star Callum Lang

We asked our Preston North End fan pundit, Darren Watson: 'Name one player you'd absolutely love your club to sign between now and the 1 September transfer deadline and why?'

Watson said: "One transfer that we must make before deadline day is Callum Lang.

"I think the club needs to go out and put a higher bid in for him. We are lacking that firepower in front of goal, and just recently watching the game against Bolton away in a pre-season friendly, I am now struggling to find out where these goals are going to come from.

"It's really frustrating watching Championship strikers who can't actually find the back of the net. Milutin Osmajic is good, he's strong, but again, just lacks the goals.

"Obviously we've let Emil Riis go, who is a proven goalscorer, and we've not replaced him. It's a bit concerning now. We're coming really close to the start of the season, and we haven't got that firepower in front of goal.

"So, I think we need to put an extra bid in for Callum Lang and try and entice him with a deal to come to North End.

"Hopefully the lad can show his quality, and he can get firing on all cylinders, and we can actually get some goals - something we've been lacking last season."

Callum Lang could thrive in Paul Heckingbottom's Preston system

Lang is a versatile forward, comfortable operating pretty much anywhere across the forward line.

That is perhaps one of the key reasons as to why Preston are so keen on the 26-year-old Portsmouth star, after Football League World exclusively revealed earlier this month that Pompey had turned down a £2m approach from the Lilywhites for his signature.

Portsmouth signed Lang from Wigan Athletic in January 2024, penning a two-and-a-half-year contract at Fratton Park, which also included the option for the club to trigger a 12-month extension.

That means that, for now at least, he's set to become a free agent next summer, meaning Portsmouth may wish to sell him this summer if they want to receive a premium price for him.

Heckingbottom tended to deploy a back-three approach in his first season as Preston boss last term, meaning his starting XI often accommodated numerous attacking midfielders and multiple strikers on the pitch at the same time.

So, given Lang's ability to operate as a number 10 or as a centre-forward, he could fit perfectly into a host of different roles in the team, providing the Preston boss with a proven Championship performer that can take on various responsibilities in the side.

Ultimately, Preston must find a way of sharpening their cutting edge this summer, having scored just 48 league goals last season and being among the lowest performers in numerous key attacking metrics.

Lang's 10 league goals in 32 appearances for Portsmouth last term highlight a player that can really help them in this endeavour, and so it's no surprise to see North End fans willing their club to get this deal over the line.