Transfer tug-of-war for ex-Preston North End star | Deepdale set for bumper crowd as Burnley allocation confirmed

Preston North End are in FA Cup action tonight as they host Charlton Athletic in the third round.

The tie had to be re-arranged at short notice after the pitch froze last week. Both teams know that if they win, they'll face Wycombe Wanderers in the next round in early February.

As Paul Heckingbottom and his players prepare for a double game week, there's plenty going on across the Championship.

Here’s your headlines from around the division.

Transfer tug-of-war for Tom Cannon

Tom Cannon is once again at the heart of a transfer chase between multiple Championship clubs. The striker is currently on loan at Stoke City but his parent club, Leicester City, have the option to recall him.

The Foxes have until Wednesday to decide whether he should stay at Stoke or spend the remainder of the season elsewhere. A handful of Championship clubs are said to be interested in signing Cannon, including Sheffield United and Sunderland.

“He’s definitely one on the list for us,” said Ruud van Nistlerooy to LeicestershireLive when asked about Cannon’s future. “We keep a close eye on him like we do with all the boys who are on loan. Tom’s situation is closely assessed. There are decisions to be made on that. It’s still a possibility (he stays at Stoke). But we’re looking in this window at his situation, what would be best for him and for the club.”

It's expected that Sheffield United will 'ramp up' their attempts to sign Cannon, according to Fraser Fletcher - a Football Correspondent for TEAMtalk. Sheffield Wednesday and Luton Town are also among the list of clubs reportedly chasing his signature.

Preston came close to re-signing Cannon in the summer of 2023 when Ryan Lowe was in charge. Everton ended up changing their transfer demands and Leicester won the race to sign him. During his time at Deepdale, he had a record of eight goals in 21 appearances. He's got a similar record at Stoke, with 11 goals in 25 games - including an effort against Sunderland at the weekend.

Burnley away allocation for Preston North End revealed

PNE have given rivals Burnley a sizeable allocation for their Lancashire Derby next month (February 15). The match has been chosen for Sky Sports coverage and will air at 12:30pm. The Clarets, should they sell out, will be backed by more than 5,000 supporters with a total allocation of 5,686.

Burnley supporters are being charged £30 if they're an adult, £25 for over 65s, and a fiver for those under the age of 11. The two sides played to a goalless draw at Turf Moor back in October with 2,271 Preston fans in attendance. PNE will be on the hunt for their first win against them in five matches, having not beaten them since December 2015.

Preston North End’s next league opponents appoint new manager

The Lilywhites are next in league action when they travel to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town. The Hatters parted ways with Rob Edwards last week and have moved quickly to appoint his successor.

Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield is the new man at the helm; PNE will hope to stop any kind of new manager bounce.

The 40-year-old had the Chairboys battling for promotion in League One and caused an upset on Friday, when his side knocked out Portsmouth in the FA Cup. Now he's been tasked with keeping Luton in the second tier.

Speaking to the official club website, Bloomfield said: "It’s a genuine honour and a privilege to be here, to be appointed as manager of this incredible club. I’m really, really proud. It’s been a busy few days, a very busy weekend but I’ve met the recruitment team, met Gary and spent some time with the board.

“The fact that they’re all Luton supporters and that they care so much about their football club shone through, and the fact that they had a real big desire for me to join our football club also shone through, so I’m incredibly proud and very, very happy to be here."