In the meantime, record numbers of football fans have been taking to Football Manager to get their fix. For a bit of fun, we've fired up the popular management sim and sent the game into the future to have a peek at who Preston are predicted to sign over the next three transfer windows.

13. Mikel Villanueva - Malaga - 175k
It wouldn't be DeadlineDay without some drama, and Preston pull off a late coup. The Venezuela international is set to be one of the first names on the team sheet. | Getty
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