Reports: Spanish club identify Preston North End star as transfer target after QPR and Leicester City goals
PNE striker has made a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign
The Lilywhites signed the striker in the summer of 2023, from Cadiz, for a club record fee in the region of £2.1million. Osmajic scored eight goals in his maiden season at Deepdale and 15 in all competitions last campaign, with nine of those strikes coming in the Championship.
The Montenegro international has scored in both of PNE’s league games so far this season, with last weekend’s goal against Leicester City a late winner at Deepdale. He has two years left to run on his contract in Lancashire; clubs in Turkey, Spain, Portugal and France have been monitoring Osmajic over the last 12 months.
Now, according to Riazor, Segunda Division outfit Deportivo - who are looking to rise to their previous heights - have identified PNE’s front man as a potential option. Manager Antonio Hidalgo recently explained how the club needs ‘a player who can move into space, be mobile, and play in other attacking positions’.
It’s understood there has been no approach, or bid, as of yet. The report states that Osmajic ‘joins the list of candidates’ for Deportivo, with former club Cadiz said to be owed 30 per cent of any profit Preston make via a sale. Juan Carlos Arana, Jon Karrikaburu and Carlos Martín are also named as targets.
Peter Ridsdale on Milutin Osmajic
Asked about the striker’s situation this summer, the PNE CEO said: “Well, with every player you've got a number of options. First of all, he's under contract. Secondly, we haven't had a bid. And thirdly, he's our leading goal scorer and we don't want to sell him.
“So, I'm not proactively doing anything on the basis that I think the uncertainty I mentioned to you a minute ago would also affect what we do with him here; what anybody else might be interested in doing with him.
“And therefore, that's why certainty will help everybody. But as we sit here at the moment, he's got two years to go. We love him to bits. He scores goals and we want him playing for us in as many games as he can be in the coming season.
“If that changes, because we get an offer, we'd have to consider it. But, we haven't had one. And are we actively trying to lose him? No, we're not, because goal scorers, as we've already said, are expensive.”
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