Transfer gossip: Championship rivals edge Preston North End to £300,000 striker signing

The Lilywhites make the trip to Ashton Gate on Saturday to face Bristol City, knowing a win will secure their survival.

However, there will be plenty on the line for North End as five teams battle it out to avoid relegation and a drop to League One.

Although the season has yet to reach its climax, Paul Heckingottom has revealed he will look to freshen his squad up as he prepares for his first summer window in charge.

But, PNE have reportedly missed out on a transfer target, according to The Daily Record.

The article goes onto claim the Lilywhites were interested in Kilmarnock forward Bobby Wales, whose stock is on the rise following an impressive season in the Scottish Premiership.

The 19-year-old has netted five goals in 31 appearances for Killie this term in a side who have struggled for goals as they sit ninth.

Now it has been reported the Scotland under-19 international has snubbed PNE and other English clubs to make the move to Championship rivals Swansea City.

The young striker is set for a medical in south Wales next week ahead of a believed £300,000 move, where he will pen a four-year deal.

It has been claimed the Kilmarnock youth product has been impressed with the Swans’ Premier League ambition, which was matched by new boss Alan Sheehan.

Swansea have also seen Real Madrid galactico Luka Modric become a minority owner in recent weeks and will begin to invest in the club.

Wales came through the ranks at Rugby Park, first making his debut in the Scottish Premiership in October 2022, aged 17. A move to Alloa in the Scottish League One followed in the 2023-24 campaign where he heavily impressed and scored 12 goals in 24 league appearances.

In total, the forward has registered 41 appearances for Kilmarnock and netted on five occasions.

Busy summer ahead at Deepdale

It’s set to be a busy window at Deepdale as Heckingingbottom prepares for his first full summer at the helm.

The Lilywhites remain in the dark as to which league they will be playing in next season, with the final day fight set to determine their future. Nonetheless, the North End boss is anticipating plenty of activity in the market as looks to build his squad.

He told the Lancashire Post last month: “We've been doing it ever since I came in. I think we only had a couple of days left of the August window. Then we started working out straight away for January.

“But we'd still managed to do Jayden (Meghoma) and Lewis (Gibson) before that. Then, as soon as January closed, it was on more to the summer. That was looking at every position. Now I think, probably, really clear on the areas where we need, who we need and what that looks like more going forward.

“​​We've suffered that in different positions. So, we certainly need minimum two for every position of first team players, supported then by the lads beneath. It'd be similar again in terms of (squad) size, but you're always wanting to get improvements in all positions if you can. That's what we've got to try and do.”

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