BREAKING: Preston North End confirm loan signing of striker previously linked to Leicester City and Millwall
PNE have secured their third signing of the summer window.
Preston North End have announced the loan signing of Swedish striker Jusef Erabi from KRC Genk.
Erabi, 23, joins PNE on a season-long loan, but there is an option to make the move permanent. He will wear the number 9 shirt for North End.
He signed for Belgian outfit Genk last summer for £3.5m and made 22 appearances, including five in the Europa League, however the vast majority of those came from off the bench.
Prior to joining Genk, Erabi played for Hammarby in Sweden; he scored 29 goals in 99 appearances and was their Player of the Year in 2023. He has also scored seven goals across 18 games for Sweden’s under-19 and under-21 teams.
Last summer, Erabi was linked to three other English clubs in Leicester City, Millwall and Swansea City. His arrival at PNE bolsters manager Paul Heckingbottom’s attacking options. After Michael Smith’s departure to Mansfield Town on Monday, Milutin Osmajic had been the Lilywhites’ only out-and-out striker.
Upon signing, Erabi said: “It feels amazing to be here. I've been speaking to the staff and the people around the club and it looks amazing. When I saw the club and how they play, I was impressed, had a good feeling, and I really wanted to get it done as fast as I could.”
Paul Heckingbottom added: “Jusef is a good technical all-round striker. He’s physically really good and likes to make runs in behind but is also strong enough to hold the ball up.
“He’s got a real appetite to work against the ball and a mentality to be the best he can. We will work really hard to give him the best platform to go out and show what he can do.”