Five Preston North End players feature on the PFA’s list of free transfers.
Chris Brown, Wayne Brown, Neil Dougan, Sam Hart and Neal Trotman are among more than 700 players who will be available on Bosmans from July 1.
The quintet are all in the final couple of weeks of their contracts at Deepdale.
Wayne Brown, Dougan, Hart and Trotman have all been deemed surplus to requirement by North End following relegation to League One.
But the position with Chris Brown doesn’t seem quite as clear cut.
North End do have an option in their favour of extending his stay by another year.
And at the end of last season, PNE boss Phil Brown did say he would be interested in working with the striker again.
It’s likely to become clearer next week whether Brown will be kept on.
One name which doesn’t feature on the PFA list is Darren Carter, despite him also coming to the end of his contract with North End.
There was an indication from Brown that he would like to retain the midfielder’s services for next term, although that would be on reduced terms.
Two players who were on loan with PNE last season are on the PFA list - Iain Turner and Nathan Ellington.
Goalkeeper Turner is included having been released by Everton, and he’s a Bosman target for Preston next month.
Ellington has been freed by Watford, with Preston seemingly vying with Ipswich for the striker’s services.
Seeing Wayne Brown, Dougan, Hart and Trotman on the PFA list isn’t a surprise.
Centre-half Brown didn’t feature in the first-team squad after February’s 4-0 home defeat to Bristol City.
It’s the second time the 33-year-old has departed a club under Brown’s management, having left Hull City for Leicester in July 2009.
Winger Dougan and left-back Hart, both 19, didn’t force their way into first-team contention after being handed professional contracts last summer.
Trotman managed just five appearances in a Preston shirt following a £500,000 move from Oldham in January 2008.
He spent the majority of the 2009/10 campaign on loan at Southampton and Huddersfield.
Then after being transfer-listed by former manager Darren Ferguson last summer, he re-joined Oldham on loan in November.
Meanwhile, North End have landed a home draw against Crewe Alexandra in the first round of the Carling Cup.
The tie is set to be played on Tuesday, August 9, with a 7.45pm kick-off.
It will be the first meeting with Dario Gradi’s side since March 2006 when PNE recorded a 1-0 win at Deepdale in the league thanks to a Brett Ormerod goal.
Last season, North End reached the third round stage of the competition, beating Stockport and Bradford before losing 2-1 at Wigan.
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