Contract picture for Preston North End midfielder set out as clubs express interest

Ryan Ledson’s future at Preston North End is up in the air with the midfielder’s deal up this summer.

It’s understood that a couple of clubs have shown an interest in the 27-year-old of late but no official approaches or bids have been made at this stage. Talks over a new contract at Deepdale are yet to take place with Ledson one of several senior players in that boat.

PNE recently tied down Jordan Storey until 2028 but Freddie Woodman, Liam Lindsay, Andrew Hughes, Robbie Brady, Duane Holmes and Emil Riis are all up in 2025. Talks with Hughes - who joined Preston in the summer of 2018 like Ledson - are also yet to commence.

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The number 18 has regularly made his fondness of the football club clear and staying at PNE beyond the summer is the aim. But with Ledson having entered the last six months of his deal the prospect of moving on to pastures new has to be considered.

A departure this month is unlikely as things stand, but should an offer come in from one of the interested clubs it would give all parties a decision to make. Ledson has been praised a couple of times publicly by manager Paul Heckingbottom; game time under him has been hard to come by though.

Ledson was the hero in the Carabao Cup win over Fulham, shortly after Heckingbottom’s appointment in August. He has been limited to just three starts in all competitions since then though, with 14 appearances made across all competitions and 682 minutes of football racked up.

The player said to in-house media recently: “It's quite difficult for me at the minute. I haven't been playing as much as I'd like, but I keep myself fit, keep myself going every single day in training and any little sniff I can get on the pitch I just want to show what I can do.”

Preston signed Ledson from Oxford United six-and-a-half years ago. He has made 197 appearances for PNE - more than any other club - and scored seven goals, while assisting 14. Ledson won Player of the Year in 2020/21 and last extended his contract in December 2022.