Young Gunn interests PNE

After bringing in Chris Maxwell on a Bosman from Fleetwood a month ago, the other piece of business in the keeping department is taking longer to do.

Manchester City youngster Angus Gunn is the latest to be linked, with there being speculation he is being lined-up for a loan move to Deepdale.

While there is interest from North End in the 20-year-old, nothing has been agreed with City.

At this stage, he is one of a handful of keepers on the club’s radar.

Gunn has yet to taste first-team football at City and the Eastlands outfit are keen to loan him out to get experience in the forthcoming campaign.

That would ideally be at Championship level, although he has also been linked with a spell with New York City in the MLS.

He signed a five-year contract with City last summer and is highly-rated there.

In September last year, Gunn made his England Under-21s debut at Deepdale against the United States.

He came on as a second-half substitute in that game for ex-North End loanee Jordan Pickford.

At the recent Toulon Tournament which England won, Gunn and Pickford were the two keepers in the squad.

Gunn, son of former Norwich and Scotland keeper Bryan Gunn, played in two of the group games against Guinea and Japan.

In an ideal world, the Lilywhites want two permanently-signed goalkeepers competing for the gloves in 2016/17.

Anders Lindegaard remains high on the list as North End look to turn last season’s loan from West Bromwich Albion into a full-time move.

Key to that happening is the Danish shot-stopper coming to a settlement over the remaining year of his contract with the Baggies.

If Lindegaard and Albion can come to an agreement, that would open the way for him to negotiate a deal with Preston.

The view at PNE is that Lindegaard knows them, they know him and being a full-time signing would not leave them open to the risk of him being recalled as is the risk with loan keepers.

That said, if 32-year-old Lindegaard was to prove out of reach, the loan market is an option.

It has been successfully used by North End in recent seasons, with Declan Rudd, Sam Johnstone and Pickford all having productive spells.

Rudd and Johnstone cannot be ruled out as targets this summer, with Gunn now an option too.

A potential problem with Gunn would be when he becomes available.

He could well be needed by City for their pre-season commitments, with Joe Hart due a late return after playing for England at the Euros.

Last summer, North End experienced similar with Johnstone who went to the United States with Manchester United.

They waited until late in July for him before turning their attention to Pickford at Sunderland.