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That was February 1, wind the clock forward to August 31 and Euxton will be a far more sedate place by the looks of it.

As things stand, a young striker on loan from the Premier League is the main item on the shopping list.

What's been stressed is that whoever comes in has to make a difference, not just add to the collection - the target they have in mind would tick that box.

As for other areas of the pitch, there could well be disappointment for fans who want to see further strengthening.

Middlesbrough midfielder Sam Morsy was linked with North End on Monday - their name thrown into the ring with a couple of other Championship clubs in a media report from Teesside.

There was a shake of the head from PNE sources when that link was checked out.

Morsy was linked to North End in his Wigan days but the last time his name was on the agenda came about through Alan Browne's tussle with him at the Riverside Stadium in Alex Neil's penultimate game in charge - a red card shown to Browne that night.

Preston North End head coach Frankie McAvoy and coach Paul Gallagher during the win against Swansea City at Deepdale

The size of the Preston squad is a guide to how much business will be done.

They have 27 senior players/loan players on the books and a squad of 25 has to be registered with the EFL for Championship matches.

Izzy Brown can be taken out of that equation until the second-half of the season but there will still be players on the payroll who can't be registered for league action.

Ideally you move players on but they need homes to go to and interest has been thin on the ground.

Bear in mind, North End still have Connor Wickham on trial with them, a free agent who can sign beyond the confines of the transfer window.

If the former Crystal Palace striker impresses sufficiently, room would need to be found in the squad for him too.

Let's see what the state of play is come 11pm tonight.

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Preston North End transfer deadline day: Dave Seddon looks at the state of play at Deepdale