Prospective Preston North End buyer Chris Kirchner is back in the UK

The American businessman posted a photograph on Twitter of a view from a plane above Manchester on Monday morning, with the words ‘Sunny in Manchester this am!! Wow. Love it’.

Him being back in the UK could be a sign of him accelerating his attempt to complete a deal for North End.

Kirchner watched two PNE games at Deepdale in February and has been negotiating a price to buy the club from the Hemmings family.

There are still several steps to go in the process, notably putting together and submitting a two-year business plan to the EFL, showing how that would be financed.

That would then have to be approved by the EFL, together with showing proof of funds and passing the owners and directors test.

It is understood that due diligence is still being done by Kirchner’s lawyers.

Earlier this season, Kirchner tried to buy Derby County but agreeing a deal with their administrators proved beyond reach and he pulled out of the running before Christmas.

It is Derby who are PNE’s next opponents at Pride Park on Saturday, April 2.

Texas-based Kirchner is the chairman and chief executive of logistics software firm Slync.io, his company the sponsors of the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament.

Although 34-year-old Kirchner has just flown into the UK, work on a potential takeover will have been going on behind the scenes.

His boots on the ground over here is former Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook.

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