Overseas club swoop in for Preston North End man as transfer talks taking place

Preston North End winger Jeppe Okkels is now in talks over a permanent move to Djurgardens, it’s understood.

Speculation around the 26-year-old has swirled in recent days, with Okkels believed to have attracted serious interest from one club in Denmark and another in the Netherlands. Both made approaches over a loan with option-to-buy, with the Danish club believed to have held discussions with Okkels.

When asked last weekend if he is expecting Okkels to leave in the next few days, PNE boss Paul Heckingbottom said: “We've had an enquiry from a Danish club about him, so we're exploring that and chatting with Jeppe about it.”

Now, though, Allsvenskan outfit Djurgårdens are thought to be leading the race for his signature - having put a permanent bid on the table. Should talks between player and club go positively then a deal could be finalised in the next couple of days, but there is still work to be done.

North End are unlikely to recoup the seven-figure sum they paid to sign Okkels last summer, but a high six-figure offer could be agreed. PNE reportedly paid £1.7m to land the winger from FC Utrecht, though Preston CEO Peter Ridsdale later claimed that fee was higher than the actual sum.

Okkels returned to Deepdale this summer after a loan spell with Aberdeen, in the second half of the 2024/25 season. He started in the Carabao Cup win at Barrow but was an unused substitute against QPR and Leicester City, while absent from the squads versus Ipswich and Wrexham.

He made 10 appearances for the Lilywhites last campaign with three of those starts - one in the league and two in the cup. Okkels reunited with old Elfsborg boss Jimmy Thelin at Aberdeen and he turned out on 18 occasions for the Dons, scoring once. A move to Sweden would see Okkels return to a league he has previously impressed in.

PNE boss on Milutin Osmajic speculation

Another North End player who has been the subject of transfer talk in recent weeks is star striker Milutin Osmajic. Deportivo, Lecce, Sassuolo and Cremonese have all been linked with the Montenegro international. Reports this week suggested that the latter were preparing a bid for the front man.

Speaking after Tuesday’s loss to Wrexham, Heckingbottom said: “There's nothing in it. No bids, nothing. Again, why would we sell him? You know what I mean? I said the money that Wrexham have paid for some players. What value does that put on Milly, who I'm saying gets you 20 goals a season? So yeah, no way.”

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