Jordan Hugill linked with Preston North End return

A Preston return for record sale Jordan Hugill looks to be a long shot as things stand.
Jordan Hugill competes with Preston skipper Tom Clarke when on loan at MiddlesbroughJordan Hugill competes with Preston skipper Tom Clarke when on loan at Middlesbrough
Jordan Hugill competes with Preston skipper Tom Clarke when on loan at Middlesbrough

The striker, who North End sold to West Ham United for £9.5m 16 months ago, has been linked with a loan move back to Deepdale.

While it is a case of never say never, PNE sources say it is ‘highly unlikely’ at this stage that Hugill could return.

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In joining the Hammers at the end of January 2018, his wage rocketed – players who move for the size of fee he did get a big salary.

It would take West Ham greatly subsidising his wage for a loan deal to work.

From a footballing point of view, the move to London has simply not worked out for Hugill, who turned 27 earlier in the month.

David Moyes signed him but used him only three times as a substitute. His time on the pitch in a West Ham shirt totalled only 22 minutes.

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Hugill spent last season on loan with Middlesbrough, the club he supported as a boy.

He managed 20 starts in the Championship together with 17 appearances from the bench, scoring six goals.

Twice the striker faced PNE last season, starting Boro’s 1-1 draw at Deepdale and coming on as a 77th-minute sub when North End won at the Riverside Stadium in March.

For now Hugill is back on West Ham’s books and will be due in pre-season training in the next couple of weeks.

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His agent is trying to find him a new club and Preston are one of the clubs linked with him.

Hugill clearly fitted in well at North End and liked his time at Deepdale.

In the first half of the 2017/18 campaign before his exit, he netted 10 goals – eight of them in the league.

The season before that, when he really established himself in the first team, Hugill scored 13 goals.

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Preston signed Hugill from Port Vale five years after he’d had just one season in the full-time game.

Last season, PNE fared quite well for goals, their tally of 67 the eighth-highest in the Championship.

But like every club, they will be looking to bolster the attack this summer.

Callum Robinson and Alan Browne shared 24 of those goals, with Tom Barkhuizen, Paul Gallagher and Daniel Johnson weighing in with six apiece.

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Robinson scored a few of his when playing as a central striker but more came when he operated out wide.

Of the strikers, Jayden Stockley scored four after his January arrival from Exeter.

Louis Moult and Sean Maguire, who were both hit by injury last season, scored four and three respectively.

Lukas Nmecha scored four goals on loan but is now back at Manchester City.