PNE signed Jack Walton and Michael Smith on Tuesday

Preston North End CEO Peter Ridsdale has clarified where the club’s two new signings leave other goalkeepers and strikers.

The Lilywhites announced a double swoop on Tuesday evening, bringing in goalkeeper Jack Walton from Luton Town for an undisclosed fee - while snapping up experienced striker Michael Smith, after his exit from Sheffield Wednesday by mutual consent.

PNE had replaced Freddie Woodman with Daniel Iversen earlier this summer but, as reported, a second shot-stopper addition was always being looked at. This time, though, nobody left the building prior to the arrival of Walton.

As well as Iversen and Walton, Preston have veteran Dai Cornell and youngsters James Pradic and Li-Bau Stowell. But, Woodman’s blow towards the end of 2024/25 left North End’s manager wanting two fresh recruits in the goalkeeping department.

“Well, Paul wanted to strengthen the goalkeeping department because, clearly, we had an injury to Fred at the end of last season,” Ridsdale told the Lancashire Post. “Whilst Li-Bau is very talented and we've got really high hopes for him, he was nervous that we went through a lot of games there with a goalkeeper and then a 17-year-old on the bench. He never wanted us to be exposed to that.

“We've brought in another experienced goalkeeper who will fight with Dai - assuming Dai stays in the backup slot - and may well fight Daniel to start, which means we've got competition. Whereas in reality, we weren't quite in that position last year and we don't want to be exposed. So, let's see who stays and how many stay. But, Paul was very keen to make sure that in every area we had experience, and we weren't at risk.

“So, we brought another goalkeeper in. We'll see by the 1st of September how many we've still got. We went through yesterday every position and let's assume we haven't yet finished, we've got a squad of players that if I was to say to you: ‘Pick the starting XI’, you probably couldn't. And then if I then said to you: ‘Well, he's going to start with these three instead of those three that you were thinking of’, you'd say: ‘Actually, that's good, it doesn’t weaken us’. That's the first time we've been in that position for a long time.”

PNE’s forward line certainly needed help this summer with Emil Riis, Ched Evans and Layton Stewart having all departed - albeit the latter had been out on loan at FC Thun. Preston have added Daniel Jebbison on loan and now Smith on a two-year deal, with Milutin Osmajic and Will Keane already on board. Further reinforcements are very much on the agenda, though.

“I think that all the time Paul is looking to bring in goal scorers who've got a proven track record,” said Ridsdale. “And would we if we could? Yes. Would that mean we kept five? Maybe not. But, we haven't found the one to bring in yet. Does that mean one would then go? Possibly. Which one would that be? Don't know.

“And of course, Daniel's not ours, he's on loan. The great thing versus last season - I think we had four or five loan players last season and at the moment we've only got one. So again, where we're actually stronger is the players we’ve brought in - in the main with one exception - they're ours.”

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