Peter Ridsdale fires January transfer window warning as player exits hinted and club structure defended
PNE director has provided a comment on the back of the club's 2023/24 accounts being published
Preston North End director Peter Ridsdale has suggested some players will reject new contracts this season - while outlining the aim of adding in the January transfer window.
The Lilywhites have published their 2023/24 club accounts on pnefc.net and Ridsdale has commented - along with chairman Craig Hemmings. Last week, an open letter was sent to Hemmings and the club by two groups representing the North End fan base.
A meeting with the chairman has been arranged, as a result. One concern raised in the letter was PNE’s ‘leadership structure’. That is something Ridsdale has defended in his latest comments, while the upcoming window and contract situation has also been discussed.
He said, via the club’s website: “We have a number of players whose contracts will expire next summer and, as always, the football management will recommend which ones we will try and keep and which ones we will take the opportunity to replace, to freshen up the squad. Not all players we wish to keep will sign new contracts.
“This is normal in football and where this is the case we will once again give the manager the opportunity to bring in new talent. In some cases, the manager may well feel that players under contract beyond the end of next season would be better being traded, to free up funds for strengthening. In such circumstances it is our job to do the best to support the manager to achieve these goals.
“Our streamlined organisational and decision-making infrastructure gives us a fighting chance in the ever complex and data-driven world of scouting new football talent. Layers of infrastructure inevitably leads to layers of bureaucracy and costs which then leads to a slower decision-making process. To compete, PNE has to be a lean and focused operation. We have to get more bang for our buck.
“The January transfer window will soon be upon us. It is our job to try and facilitate the opportunity for Paul (Heckingbottom) to enhance, improve and shape the squad to his needs - but we must remind our supporters that money to buy players, for a club like PNE, is not infinite. In many cases we need to free up spaces within a squad to enhance the squad.
“Moving players on, letting contracts expire and/or selling players on to other clubs is an ongoing process of the running of any club. Teams evolve and improve through good coaching and, where necessary, the replacement of players. This is the process we have under constant review.”