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...

25. Scott Sinclair - 6
It's a shame Sinclair's best days in a Preston shirt were in empty stadiums. He scored some important goals and had moments in that 2020/21 campaign, having not really justified the hype the season before. Couldn't get going the year after sadly and moved on. | CameraSport - Andrew Kearns

26. David Nugent - 4
It was the romantic move PNE supporters had longed for ever since his 2006 departure. They say never go back but you hoped a later version of Nugent could still contribute in the final third. He led the line effectively at times but managed just the one goal in 25 appearances. | Alex Davidson

27. Tom Bayliss - 2
Bayliss was hot property at the time - said to be attracting a lot of clubs while at Coventry City. He cost PNE a reported £2m but the midfielder's time at Deepdale never really got going and he ended up leaving early by mutual consent. A big investment which didn't come off at all. | Jason Cairnduff

28. Patrick Bauer - 7
His first season at PNE was terrific. Played a key role in North End pushing for a play-off spot - albeit they ultimately came up short. Carried that form into 2020/21 and then suffered the horrific Achilles injury. The last few years have been tough. | CameraSport - Dave Howarth