January will be the PNE manager’s first full transfer window

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom is well aware of the challenges he may face in the January transfer window.

But, the Lilywhites’ chief is keen to improve his squad if possible - in what will be his first full window as North End manager. In the summer, there were only 10 days left to wheel and deal after the appointment of Heckingbottom - and he loaned in Josh Bowler from Nottingham Forest.

Since then, a handful of transfer rumours have done the rounds in the media - free agent Ryan Kent and Leeds United man, Joe Gelhardt, being two of the latest names to emerge. With December approaching, plans for January are stepping up and Heckingbottom hopes to add - but knows it likely won’t be easy.

"Hundreds of targets," said Heckingbottom. "We are always working - to get players back who are unfit, with the ones who aren't in the team at the minute, and the ones who are. Because, who knows what we are going to be able to get done? Obviously, from my point of view, coming to the club when you come in, transfer windows are going to be big for me.

“One, it is how much are you capable of doing in terms of finance and opportunity? January is always difficult. And, the other will be determined by what we do between now and January. Lots of things, I have been pleased with, but I want to win more games - simple. That will always determine how aggressive you are in the transfer window and how adamant you are that you need to get things done.”

It has been put to the PNE boss in recent interviews that, having come through the door on August 20, the squad is not ‘his’ as such. But, he hasn’t been keen to go along with that view - coming into the job with his ‘eyes wide open’ was a phrase he used a couple of times, early on in his tenure. Heckingbottom has seen positives from this group of players and just wants to make them even better.

“These are my players, good players and I know some of them (as) I've worked with a couple of them (before),” he said, post-Stoke. “I’ve got to know them, I’ve liked how they’ve trained, responded - and lots of things I've seen. But, as always, you want to help them and sometimes bringing new players in helps the ones who are already here. So, if we can do that, it'd be great."