Unpacking the messy £1.7m Preston North End transfer which had red flags from the start

It’s not big money in this day and age of football but when Preston North End spend £1.7million on a player it will gain extra attention. And that really hasn’t been great news in the case of Jeppe Okkels - for whom you have to feel for in all of this.

Of course people have it far tougher in life but this is a sport which exists in its own bubble and the Dane has had a frustrating 12 months in that regard. The Dane has headed on loan to Aberdeen where he links up with former boss Jimmy Thelin - who coached him at Elfsborg for three years.

Since leaving the Swedish club in January 2024 the wide man has played very little competitive football. His five appearances in the seven month spell with FC Utrecht were somewhat of a warning sign upon arrival but the hope was that Okkels could get back on track in England and justify the investment.

But there was more about this transfer which raised red flags at the time. It’s worth noting at this point that the Dane isn’t done for good at Deepdale, though North End including an option-to-buy in his loan implies that boss Paul Heckingbottom isn’t overly convinced.

The circumstances in which the winger signed were particularly unique, bizarre and alarming. Okkels will have been identified by the club’s recruitment staff and approved by former manager Ryan Lowe - who then suddenly departed in the midst of a deal being done.

It’s understood that Okkels was in the country on the Sunday when Lowe informed club officials of his desire to shake hands and move on. All that was left to do with regards to the deal was Okkels’ medical. He was confirmed as a PNE player on the Tuesday.

North End had been on the hunt for wide recruits all summer after the departure of 2023/24 loan star Liam Millar. After setbacks and frustration they moved quickly to get Kaine Kesler-Hayden in from Aston Villa but made it clear the work had not finished there.

Preston were priced out of a move for Slavia Prague’s Conrad Wallem though and the search for a left sided player went on. Not going for Millar and failing to get someone else wouldn’t have looked good at all. With two-and-a-half weeks of the window to go the the deal for Okkels was wrapped up.

Heckingbottom was then appointed as boss seven days later. Since then Okkels has made 13 appearances and just three starts across all competitions, playing a total of 306 minutes. One strange thing is that 90 of those minutes came against one of the finest teams in the land in Arsenal.

Okkels was trusted to play that entire match and fared fairly well on the night, but has barely had a sniff in the league - where PNE haven’t always been particularly great. It is a situation where training - the part we all do not get to see - feels especially relevant.

That could be taken the wrong way, as a suggestion that Okkels’ attitude and effort hasn’t been up to scratch. Based on his one interview in the media it would be a great surprise if that was the case. He came across as a humble, personable character - hungry to get his chance and ready to work hard.

Arguably the warning signs flashed bright at the start of October when the North End manager was asked about Okkels. It was said by Heckingbottom that the Dane had succeeded in a team that played the ‘opposite’ way to what Preston were trying to become. Not good.

The PNE boss has also been open about how ‘passive’ the Scandinavian leagues tend to be compared to the Championship. The greatest sample size with Okkels is in Denmark and Sweden. Throw into the mix the Dane moving country for the second time in eight months and this was unlikely to be an instant hit.

It’s a market Preston have tapped into a few times now and overseas recruitment is vital. In the same breath it is important North End look beyond Scandinavia. It’s a boost that those players typically speak outstanding English and the culture shock is likely minimal, but football must always be number one. In the search for success you can’t always be safe.

There’s also a point to be made about alignment here and club identity - a word which is sometimes mocked. But this sort of situation wouldn’t arise if PNE had real clarity on what their football team looks and plays like. The manager is then appointed with that in mind and players recruited too.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Okkels, who now finds himself heading more than 300 miles up to northeast Scotland. Working with Thelin again can only be a good thing and his athletic qualities may well shine in the Scottish Premiership, for a team desperate to get back on track. His contract at Deepdale runs until the summer of 2027 so there is still time for this to work out in theory.

But this has been a mess so far and there is nowhere really for anyone to hide. A buy-option for Aberdeen suggests North End have already accepted they may need to simply cut their losses. As if they needed more of those.