Ryan Lowe has outlined Preston North End's transfer plan if star man leaves

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe says he’d be looking to sign a player as similar to Alan Browne as possible - should the captain leave this summer.

It is the contract saga which has dragged on at Deepdale, since the first half of last season. In September, the Irishman said he’d be happy to sign on the dotted line. His next update was on Boxing Day, when Browne stated he’d been made a contract offer - but hadn’t signed it yet. Director, Peter Ridsdale, was confident of keeping the number eight in January.

But, the 29-year-old finished the season without committing his future and was visibly emotional at the end of some of the games. Lowe described the offer made to Browne as the best in PNE’s club history, with a ‘deadline’ for a decision given to him - after the final day at West Brom. That does not look to have worked, with there still no confirmed news on the Ireland international.

Last week’s retained list simply detailed that a contract offer is on the table. Coventry City and Sheffield United are the two clubs to be linked with the midfielder, who was the subject of interest from Salernitana in January. The prospect of Browne bringing his 10-year association with the club to an end is very real, but what would Lowe be targeting in the transfer window - should that end up being the case?

"Someone like Alan Browne,” said Lowe, at the end of last season. “You've got to make sure you've got all different types of players, haven't you? His quality is his quality, what Browney gives you. But yeah, that is what we do isn't it?

“We've spoken about players last season and if Liam Millar were to go back to Basel, he's done well for us, so you'd obviously look to (replace). That's just common sense, I think, but we've got all different kinds of players on the agenda. Hopefully we can keep the ones we want to keep and hopefully we can add to the group."