More deals to come following the return of Liam Lindsay to Preston North End

The defender’s move from Stoke City for an undisclosed fee was completed yesterday evening, Lindsay having impressed sufficiently in last season’s loan spell to earn a two-year contract.

It is part one completed of PNE’s plan to bring back three players who were on loan in the second half of 2020/21.

Daniel Iversen and Sepp van den Berg are the other two, with negotiations for their returns offering plenty of promise.

Those two would come back from Leicester City and Liverpool respectively, for second loans.

North End then have other business to do in various areas of the pitch.

They want a right-back to complete their defensive recruitment, then there is the attack to focus on.

Lindsay’s move went through on the first day of the summer transfer window.

Deals could be done before then but only registered for the first time yesterday.

Lindsay, 25, was at Euxton yesterday afternoon to finalise the move, PNE and Stoke having been in talks for the last few days.

The Scot initially joined North End on February 1 for the rest of the season, with him brought in after Ben Davies was sold to Liverpool.

His performances became more assured as the loan went on and once he had overcome a hamstring injury which he suffered four matches in his stay in Lancashire.

Lindsay played in 13 matches and scored twice, finding the net in the 2-1 away wins over Blackburn and Nottingham Forest.

Manchester-based, the move is good geographically for him and it gives Lindsay the chance to make up for lost time after 12 months out of the first-team picture at Stoke prior to coming on loan.

Iversen and Van den Berg coming back would be terrific deals if and when done.

Then the last piece of the jigsaw in terms of the defence would be a right-back.

Although Van den Berg did very well at right wing-back in a 3-5-2 last season, his natural position is as a centre-half.

So PNE want an out-and-out right-back in the squad in addition to the Dutch teenager and Joe Rafferty.

North End head coach Frankie McAvoy was pleased to get Lindsay’s deal done with pre-season three weeks away.

McAvoy said: “He did great for us when he came on loan, in particular in the latter parts when I was head coach.

“What’s he got now is an opportunity and a chance to express himself and show the Preston North End faithful the Liam Lindsay which we know he’s capable of being.”