'Paul might think...' - Preston North End's big Milutin Osmajic decision weighed up by ex-Lilywhite
The PNE striker has one year left on his contract at Deepdale
Preston North End former goalkeeper and coach Alan Kelly Jnr wouldn’t be surprised to see Milutin Osmajic sold this summer.
The Montenegrin, 26, has 12 months remaining on his deal at Deepdale. Osmajic signed for a reported £2.1million in 2023 and has scored 31 goals in 109 appearances. Eight of those came last season, though the striker only made 28 league appearances due to missing another 12 games through suspension.
Osmajic’s career at PNE hasn’t been short of controversy, with bans for biting, alleged racism and a headbutt. However, he is one of few proven goal threats remaining in Preston’s squad - which is very light on centre-forwards going into the summer. Kelly Jnr does suspect it might be time to move on, though.
“In the last two seasons he’s missed 20 games,” said Kelly Jnr. “As a manager, hypothetically speaking, if you could get X amount for Osmajic that would fund Devine, a Jebbison or another young player that you can invest in... I think that's probably the thought process, or discussions that are going on.
“I think Jebbison started 22 games and was involved in 36, so you're getting more output. The thing about Osmajic is - particularly the early part of the season - running behind, that's where he gets his goals.
“He still got eight goals this season in 20 games, so that's nearly one in two you're looking at. That’s the threat and industry and physicality he brings. But, I think maybe Paul might think, ‘OK, well, if I've not really got that message through to him in two seasons, maybe we'll look elsewhere.”
What Heckingbottom has said
“Yeah, because why would we let him go on a free transfer?” said the PNE boss, when asked at the end of the season if it has to be a sale, or contract extension for Osmajic. “But then there comes a point where, if the value we get for him is not enough, I'll be saying he's not going anywhere because we've got to replace him.
“It has to be the right money, 100 per cent. So, he either signs for the right money (or) gets sold for the right money. If not, we need the football value in the squad, if we can't replace him.
“The moment that external value becomes greater than what his value is to us, they move. If no one meets that value to us because we can't replace him, or in the strikers’ case we think they're going to bring us goals and we can't get that, then they don't move.”