The transfer window closes on September 1, 7pm

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom is expecting Jeppe Okkels to complete a move away from the club.

The Lilywhites do not have long left to wheel and deal in the summer transfer window. On the incoming front, 11 players have arrived at PNE with eight permanent deals and three loans. Outgoing business is an important factor at play at this stage and Okkels’ time at Deepdale looks to almost over.

As reported earlier this week, Swedish outfit Djurgårdens are understood to be leading the race for his signature - following strong interest from one Danish club and another in the Netherlands. As for incomings, Heckingbottom is still optimistic of PNE making further additions before the deadline on September 1.

“Yeah, I'm expecting... hoping may be more accurate,” said Heckingbottom, to BBC Lancashire. “We've had to generate the money to do the business; anything we can do always helps. Jeppe, we've been having conversations. That's probably close. We're at the point where there's agreements. It’s probably dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s.

“If we haven't got the cash as a club, then we can't do the deals. How Peter (Ridsdale) structures the deals can help, but we're always looking - we're constantly looking - for players and whether can we get deals done. We're going to continue to do that right up until seven o'clock on Monday.”

Okkels was signed for a seven-figure sum from FC Utrecht last summer, having only been at the Dutch club for half-a-season. He played 10 games for PNE before joining Aberdeen on loan in January. Heckingbottom admits the Dane just struggled to force his way into the XI, and that it’s now time for Okkels to get his career back on track.

“He needs to, he needs to,” said Heckingbottom. “He's excited about this new challenge. I'm pretty confident that this move will go ahead. Don't want to tempt fate, but he's happy, he's excited. I think it's the correct thing for him, so yeah, hopefully it all comes off. I don't want to speak... just didn't do it, didn't fit, didn't suit.

“But the harsh thing on Jeppe is he signed and then I appeared a few days later. For him, it could’ve been so different. Who knows? But we'll never know, so yeah, it is an unfortunate thing. But whenever things change at a club, whether it's a new manager, a window, there's always casualties.

“Me and Jeppe have had lots of conversations. It's not personal one little bit. Sometimes it's the hard thing about the job, when you speak to a person like Jeppe, who’s a great lad, great character and you're having to give him bad news. It's not the nice bit about the job.

“That's why I always want to chat the players when there's anything like that and make sure it comes from me, and that they understand. But do you know what? I think chatting with him, and the reason I hope it comes off, is because he gets it and he knows. I think the fact he's feeling excited now, he knows it's the right thing.”

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