Transfer gossip: Serie A club in transfer talks to sign out-of-contract Preston North End star

Preston North End club captain Alan Browne is subject of late transfer interest, according to reports in Italy.

Ginaluca Di Marazio, a journalist for Sky Italia says that Salernitana are working towards signing Browne. The club which is currently bottom of Italy's top-flight is in talks with North End and that they are hoping to conclude a deal ahead of Thursday's deadline. Time is against Salernitana as their transfer window shuts at 6.00 pm UK time on Thursday whilst the UK shuts at 11.00 pm, which gives PNE a slight bit more time to find a replacement should things accelerate.

Last week, manager Ryan Lowe said that the ball was in Browne's court to re-sign a deal. Browne is out of contract in the summer and has been offered fresh terms, but is so far yet to commit his future to the club. No bid has been made for Browne or Whiteman, who recently signed a new deal, but Lowe has replacements in mind should he move on.

Commenting on the contract situation to the LEP last week, Lowe said: "The commitment from the football club to offer contracts, for me, is massive. Then it is over to players as to whether they choose to do that. Alan knows what he is and what he has done for the football club.

He will continue to do that when picked and when selected. If he is here next season, then great. If he is not and moves on somewhere else, then no problem. Footballers come and go, along with managers and coaching staff.

"The football club is not going anywhere and I think it's a case of sticking to what we want to be, doing what we want to do and signing for what we feel is right. It is then over to the players.

"If they are committed to other things, that is fine isn't it? The football club has to stick to what it's good at and that's staying within the financials and everything that goes with it, as you've seen over the past week or so with the stuff that's come out. So yeah, the ball is in Alan's court."

Despite the uncertainty over his future, Browne remains captain of the club and has been featured heavily this season. He has played in 29 games in all competitions with four goals and two assists, and has started 25 of those games.

In North End's last two matches against Leeds United and Millwall he has had to settle for a place amongst the substitute's bench, playing a total of 31 minutes. His most recent outing against Millwall, he celebrated a landmark 400th appearance for the club.