3 players who could leave Preston North End before the summer transfer window closes
PNE have signed two players so far in the summer transfer window
All the focus is on incomings at this time of year, and Preston North End have two through the door in Sam Greenwood and Stefan Teitur Thordarson.
The business won’t stop there for the Lilywhites, as defensive and wide additions are sought after - while a striker wasn’t ruled out by manager Ryan Lowe or director Peter Ridsdale. New recruits are often balanced out by exits, though nobody under contract is yet to leave Deepdale this summer. But who could yet head out, whether it be on loan or permanently?
Layton Stewart
The 21-year-old striker has been working hard over the summer, training solo abroad before the start of pre-season. Last summer, Stewart signed a three-year deal at Deepdale. His first year at the club saw him make 16 appearances, all from the bench. It was a season of training, learning and waiting for the centre-forward. Now, with all of that under his belt, he will want to get on the pitch more regularly and score some goals.
If the opportunity to do that at Preston is going to be minimal - with three senior strikers for competition - then a loan move could make sense. There was talk of that happening back in January, but the player wanted to stay and North End opted to keep Stewart in-house given a few injuries. For all parties, it’s important the striker progresses this year. If that can be in a PNE shirt - which is certain his aim - then great. If not, a League One loan would seem sensible.
Patrick Bauer
It’s public knowledge that the German defender isn’t in the manager’s plan, though he did go away to Spain for the pre-season camp. Bauer, 31, was thought to be out of contract this summer but it turned out he had triggered another year at Preston. The Lilywhites are open to offers for the experienced centre-back, but finding him another club has evidently been a challenge.
Bauer is a no-nonsense player, who’s had a tough couple of years. Once a regular presence in the heart of defence, the German has been on the fringes of it for the last two seasons. Preston could explore a loan, but wage contribution - for any lower league clubs - could prove a sticking point.
Noah Mawene
The 19-year-old made seven first team appearances in his first year as a professional at PNE. Like with Stewart, he will now be looking to improve this season. All of a sudden, the Lilywhites have a stacked midfield department - to the point where it is tough to see Mawene featuring much. Of course, he will be determined to still force his way into the manager’s thinking - the youngster, by all accounts, is an outstanding trainer.
But, the reality is that Mawene has plenty of senior competition now: Ben Whiteman, Ali McCann, Mads Frokjaer, Duane Holmes, Ryan Ledson, Stefan Teitur Thordarson and Sam Greenwood. It might be ideal for the midfielder to go and play 20+ games in the EFL, over another season of training and making the odd appearance.