Preston North End transfers: 'Deal agreed' as Paul Heckingbottom's summer rebuild begins with move for Leicester man

Just days after the Lilywhites secured their Championship status for another season thanks to their 2-2 draw at Bristol City on Saturday, it’s been claimed that one incoming transfer has alraeady been agreed - in principle.

Early this year, it was reported that North End were keen to be reunited with former keeper Daniel Iversen, whose nine-year stay at Leicester City is set to come to an end next month.

Now Football League World are claiming that PNE have all but secured the 27-year-old’s services, with a deal for the Dane to return to Deepdale already in place.

News of the move comes after Freddie Woodman was last month linked with a move to Manchester United. The club’s No1 since signing from Newcastle in 2022, Woodman is set to leave PR1 once his current deal expires at the end of June.

The 28-year-old was denied a Deepdale farewell, though, after suffering an ankle injury in the gym during the March international break. Since then, the experienced David Cornell has been standing in and played the last nine games of PNE’s season. The 34-year-old conceded 18 goals in that period as the Lilywhites found themselves embroiled in a relegation scrap towards the end of the season.

A first-team revamp is expected off the back of that poor end to the 2024-25 campaign, with Iversen looking set to be the first piece of the summer transfer window jigsaw.

Daniel Iverson to return to Preston North End

PNE’s apparent move for the Leicester keeper will see him return to Deepdale for a third time.

He spent the second half of the 2021-22 campaign on loan with the Lilywhites, keeping 10 clean sheets in 24 appearances. The shot-stopper then returned in August 2021 on a season-long deal that saw him record 13 shut-outs in 47 appearances. That season also saw the former Denmark under-21 international named Preston North End’s player of the season.

Since then Iversen has struggled to break into the Leicester first team and has made just 12 league appearances since his return to the King Power Stadium.

He was granted another loan move away in January 2024, signing for Stoke for the second half of the 2023-24 campaign. At the Potters Iversen kept seven clean sheets in 18 outings.

The Dane hasn’t played a single minute of senior football this season but was named on the bench for the first time since February 1 for the Foxes’ 2-0 Premier League victory over Southampton at the weekend.

As well as Woodman, PNE will say goodbye to Emil Riis and Ryan Ledson this summer. Seven other players’ contracts are also up next month - including Robbie Brady - although it’s still to be determined what decision the club will make on them in the coming days.

For your next Preston North End read: Emil Riis looks to have said goodbye to Preston North End - Paul Heckingbottom has his say