What the rest of the Championship has done as Preston North End eye further attacking transfer business
Paul Heckingbottom wants to make more attacking signings before the transfer window closes
Preston North End’s search for another striker has been well analysed but the Lilywhites are also looking to add creativity.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom, as well as another centre-forward, explained he wants to sign a 1v1 player and attacking midfielder with goal scoring instinct. Striker recruitment across the Championship was looked at this week, which only served to emphasise the difficulties PNE are facing.
How about offensive players, who do not lead the line? The only player who falls into that category for North End this summer is Thierry Small - a powerful, skilful wide player capable of operating on either side of the pitch. He, Daniel Jebbison and Michael Smith aside, PNE have signed two goalkeepers, three defenders and one midfielder.
Unlike with centre-forwards, there is not an abundance of expensive, attacking additions across the Championship this summer. Swansea City’s capture of Zeidane Inoussa, for a reported €6m, is one clear exception. Norwich City - who sold Borja Sainz for a sizable fee - paid a reported £4.3m to land Papa Amadou Diallo.
Alfie Doughty and Nestory Irankunda look to have cost Millwall and Watford, respectively, around the £3m mark. The Hornets also recruited 19-year-old winger, Othmane Maamma, for a fee said to be in the region of £1m.
Charlton Athletic prised Rob Apter away from Blackpool for a reported £2m plus add-ons. Stoke City’s signing of Sorba Thomas is claimed to have cost the Potters around £1.5m, while Kwame Poku moved to QPR for a reported £900k.
Those aside, there have been a handful of loans and free transfers completed - granted, the wages of someone like Demarai Gray will likely be out of PNE’s range. The Blues also recruited Japanese attacking midfielder, Kanya Fujimoto, on a free from Gil Vicente.
John Swift and Josh Windass were free pick-ups for Portsmouth and Wrexham. Pompey also dipped into the Australian market to sign 21-year-old, Adrian Segečić, from Sydney FC for a ‘substantial six-figure’ fee in training compensation.
As far as loans are concerned, there have been few at this stage. Manchester City winger Joel Ndala has headed to Hull City, while Oxford United have added Fulham midfielder Luke Harris and Louie Barry made the move to Sheffield United from Aston Villa.
Unlike with strikers, there are few examples that look well and truly beyond PNE’s reach. There is plenty of variety, too. Clubs have taken a chance on unproven players, both loan and permanent, and also swooped in for experienced heads on frees.
As has been the case for a number of years in the Championship, now, interesting overseas moves have been made, with players from Australian, Portuguese, French and German leagues arriving in the second tier.
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