Preston North End have had plenty of success in the loan market over recent seasons, but how does their permanent recruitment compare?
The Lilywhites spent a reported fee in excess of £1.5million to land Plymouth Arygle defender Lewis Gibson last week - the centre-back is manager Paul Heckingbottom’s first permanent recruit and he could debut this weekend at Deepdale.
Going back to the summer of 2019, a total of 28 players have signed for PNE on permanent deals. Some have been first team regulars for the duration of their North End careers, others have been up and down while a handful never really got going at all.
Here’s how we rate every one of those acquisitions...

5. Duane Holmes - 6
Holmes put in some strong performances last season and he's continued to get fairly regular minutes under his belt this year - albeit starts have been in fairly short supply. | CameraSport - Dave Howarth

6. Layton Stewart - 3
A permanent recruit that so far hasn't really worked out. He made 16 appearances off the bench last season and has now headed out to FC Thun - who have an option to buy him at the end of the season. | CameraSport - Dave Howarth

7. Mads Frokjaer - 6.5
Frokjaer has scored six goals and assisted nine in his 69 North End appearances to date. Getting those numbers up will be key for the Dane, but his talent is obvious to see. PNE tend to play better when he's on the pitch. | Getty Images

8. Will Keane - 6.5
His first season back at Preston went well as Keane top scored with 13 goals while providing three assists. This year has been frustrating but will be hoping to build on that goal against Oxford last time out. | CameraSport - Andrew Kearns