Preston North End midfielder having Hannover 96 medical as he closes in on Deepdale exit
A January transfer window move away from PNE is edging increasingly closer for midfielder Stefan Thordarson
Stefan Thordarson is closing in on his Preston North End depature.
The Lancashire Evening Post understands the midfielder is currently in Germany undergoing a medical with 2.Bundesliga side Hannover 96 ahead of his well-documented move to Die Roten.
That’s after all terms for the 27-year-old’s permanent transfer were agreed - including the fee, which will be in and around the £800,000 figure the Lilywhites paid Danish Superliga side Silkeborg in 2024 for the 24-times capped Iceland international.
Since then, Thordarson has featured 64 times for the Deepdale outfit and contributed three goals and three assists.
However, after making 39 Championship appearances last term as PNE finished 20th and avoided relegation on the final day, he has found himself struggling for consistent minutes this season as Paul Heckingbottom’s side continue to push hard for promotion to the Premier League.
That prompted Hannover to approach North End about the midfielder’s availability at the very start of the January transfer window - a request that saw the club grant Thordarson permission to speak to Christian Titz’s side.
Once the player’s medical is completed, Thordarson will be the second PNE player to leave the club during the current transfer window. Loanee Harrison Armstrong has already departed Deepdale after he was recalled by parent club Everton to assist with their current shortage of options in midfield.
While a hectic transfer window is not expected at PNE, the club is still expected to strenghen. The money they’ll receive for Thordarson’s transfer will help them achieve that. Meanwhile, the potential for Armstrong to return to Deepdale from Everton remains.
Thordarson had 18 months of his North End contract remaining. His last appearance for the Lilywhites was as an 84th-minute substitute against Oxford United on Dec 13. He has failed to make the bench for each of North End’s past four games.
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