Preston North End plotting to raid Championship rivals for 27-year-old | OneFootball

According to Bristol Live, the 27-year-old is attracting interest ahead of the upcoming transfer market.

The midfielder general is out of contract at the end of June, having been with the Robins since 2020.

He signed for the Championship side after just one year at Wigan Athletic, and has gone on to become a consistent presence in the side when he has been fully fit.

Williams featured 40 times in the league this season, including 30 starts, contributing five assists as the team finished 11th in the table (all stats from Fbref).

Preston North End interest in Bristol City’s Joe Williams

Preston North End are among the clubs eyeing a move for the Bristol City midfielder this summer.

Williams is set to become a free agent once his deal expires next month, but an offer has been made by the Robins to extend his stay at Ashton Gate beyond this year.

His performances in Liam Manning’s side have impressed many, and the club is keen to keep hold of one of their key players.

However, Ryan Lowe has also been impressed by Williams' displays in the Championship, and would like to bring the player to Deepdale this summer.

It is believed though that there are multiple potential suitors for the 27-year-old, so the Lilywhites will have competition in the race for his signature.

It remains to be seen what Williams will do next in his career, but the option is on the table to remain at Ashton Gate for a fifth season.

There is plenty of competition for minutes in midfield at Bristol City, especially with the addition of Max Bird last January, with the 23-year-old set to join up with the squad in pre-season after ending the last campaign on loan with Derby County.

Manning also has the likes of Jason Knight, Taylor Gardner-Hickman and, potentially, youngster Adam Murphy to choose from, but multiple individuals from the engine room have moved on.

Andy King has retired from football at the end of the season, meaning he will no longer be available in Manning’s squad.

Matty James has also been moved on following the expiration of his contract, which has left City without as many options as they had last season.

Losing Williams as well would be a blow for the Championship side, with the club hoping to compete in the top half of the table again next year.

Preston North End move could be tempting for Joe Williams

The competition from Preston North End for Williams’ signature is a worrying sign for City, who will want to keep one of their key midfielders in the squad for next year.

The club should have perhaps moved more quickly to ensure that something like this could be avoided, especially when Williams was a regular starter under Manning.

Losing him for nothing to a Championship rival would be a poor start to the summer window, and would mean a replacement needs to be signed.

It is now up to Williams what happens next, which gives him great leverage in any contract negotiations as he knows he has interest from multiple parties - there's every chance though that a move back closer to his Liverpool roots could be an attractive proposition for a player that should now be at the peak of his powers.