Paul Heckingbottom suggests he wants to make three signings in one position this summer

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom has suggested he’d like to sign three strikers this summer.

The Lilywhites head to Sheffield United this weekend and then host Southampton on the final day of the season. PNE are on course for a mid-table finish and will then head into another important summer.

Milutin Osmajic and Michael Smith will both have one year left on their deals, while the loans of Lewis Dobbin, Daniel Jebbison and Milos Lukovic will expire. Heckingbottom recently said Osmajic will either need to be sold or tied down to a longer deal.

Crosses are something Heckingbottom speaks about a lot and in North End’s most recent game, away to Birmingham, the delivery was consistent and caused problems. PNE’s boss was asked, post-match, if he’d like to add a centre-forward with a big aerial threat.

“You know what I'm going to say!” said Heckingbottom. “We want to improve all over the place. You say one striker, I'm saying three strikers. We want to improve all over the place. What we can do, I don't know yet - we'll have to wait and see.”

The question came after Heckingbottom discussed Thierry Small’s performance off the bench. Small has often been deployed on the left this season but in a couple of recent games, has been cutting inside from the right and delivered well. That is where he excelled for Charlton, last year. If Small can nail his crossing, Preston’s boss says it will not only take him on but help the team greatly.

“It's consistency,” said Heckingbottom. “Not only the delivery, we need to know when the ball's coming in the box. That's it, it's as simple as that. He doesn't need to complicate his game. Any striker will tell you they need to know when the ball's coming into the box. So, we need consistency of delivery and quality of delivery and that's the same for every player.

“You can see Andy's outstanding attribute. We ask a lot of Andy because it’s pointless him playing if he's not going to sprint and deliver. But, that's his outstanding attribute when he goes on the outside. We know Robbie can do it in a different way. He just gets half a yard and he's got consistent delivery.

“T’s different. I don't want him thinking he has to go past people to deliver. He can do it creatively - half a yard and that signals when the ball's going to come into the box and everyone can work off that.”

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