Preston North End Chairman issues takeover update with 'acceptable' offers and 'negotiations' confirmed

Preston North End’s chairman Ian Penrose has issued a club update on the eve of their Championship opener, amid prolonged takeover rumours and two big-money signings on Friday.

Here are all the key details from the statement.

Takeover Discussions: ‘Acceptable’ offers made and ‘negotiations’ ongoing

Penrose said: “I can confirm that we are in negotiations with parties who have made offers to buy PNE on terms that are acceptable to the Hemmings family. Whilst we would like to be able to provide a running commentary and more details for our fans, for legal and regulatory reasons, we are prevented from doing so.

“The sale of a football club is a lengthy and complex process, involving legal, financial and commercial due diligence, and the need for the buyer to satisfy regulatory obligations and submissions, including a funded two-year business plan. We have seen this week with events at Derby County that such a process is not straightforward.

“The club and the potential new owners are very conscious of the need to conclude matters promptly in order to provide certainty for many reasons. Internally, we are keeping a clear divide between our football operations and the transaction, in order to minimise distraction. Whilst certain aspects, including regulatory approvals, are outside of our control, we will continue to work hard to deliver a successful outcome for the club and fans.”

Summer Spending: Leroy and Clarke deals ‘exceed £4m’

Penrose said: “We are all aware of the need to continue to invest to take PNE forward. This summer, we have already committed to transfer fees of around £10 million, which is far in excess of our previous summer record spending.

We were delighted to secure the signing of Alfie Devine for a record fee that was nearly three times the highest transfer fee ever paid by PNE. We are delighted that today we have signed both Léo Leroy and Harry Clarke for combined fees that exceed £4 million. Léo’s transfer fee alone represents what would have been a record transfer fee for PNE, prior to the signing of Alfie.

“These follow the signings of Delano Burgzorg and Jusef Erabi, both of whom join us on loan with an option to buy, and the earlier signing of Lee Nicholls. We have, over the past number of transfer windows, begun to build a squad of players we own and who offer long-term value to the club.

“We are working on and anticipate further permanent and loan signings before the end of the transfer window. We were disappointed to lose Ben Whiteman, but pleased that we moved quickly to secure a sizeable transfer fee to be able to reinvest into improving the squad.

“All this transfer activity follows an investment of over £1.5 million into creating a new pitch at Deepdale, to help improve the consistency of our playing style throughout the winter and hopefully reduce the number of injuries that we suffer.

“The ground staff have done a fantastic job in making the pitch perfect and overseeing its construction. The pitch is looking Premier League quality and ready for our home game on 22 August against Wolves. We are thankful to Everton for allowing us to play at Goodison Park for the Carabao Cup game and now look forward to welcoming them to Deepdale on 26 August.”

Fan Support: Call for PNE faithful to be ‘positive’ ahead of new season

Penrose said: “The new Football League season will start for us tomorrow at Bolton, in front of a sell-out away end. Your support is always appreciated by everyone, and it helped get us over the line at Goodison Park on Saturday.

“The Championship is a tough league, with a huge gulf in financial resources caused by the parachute payments received by the clubs relegated from the Premier League. However, we believe that we are in good shape to be competitive this season.

“We would like to thank the fans who have again shown amazing support by already generating record revenue from the sale of season tickets. We recognise the cost-of-living challenges that are being faced by all and are pleased that the competitively priced offer has been taken up in such numbers.

“We have deliberately priced the tickets for the game against Everton at between £5 and £20 – we want fans to be able to attend the game in person and hopefully see a great night’s football and giant killing!

“We would like our fans, the beating heart of PNE, to continue to turn up in large numbers this season, making Deepdale a loud and exciting place to be. I would urge all fans to continue to be positive, both in person and on social media, to contribute to a momentum that we hope will continue to build and deliver success in the seasons ahead.

“With everyone working together and pulling in the same direction, I believe that we can achieve a lot and hopefully fulfil the ambitions that we all share.We will make all updates to keep fans informed, when able, on official club channels.”