Transfer market is proving difficult admits Preston North End boss Alex Neil

Preston North End will start the season with the same squad they finished the last one with, Alex Neil admitting the transfer market was proving a tough one.
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Neil’s side face Swansea City behind closed doors at Deepdale tomorrow (3pm).

While the Welsh outfit’s squad has had something of an overhaul during the break with both departures and incomings, it is a case of ‘as you were’ at North End.

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That is a positive in terms of having so far hung on to their key players.

Alan Browne could feature at right-back for Preston against Swansea at DeepdaleAlan Browne could feature at right-back for Preston against Swansea at Deepdale
Alan Browne could feature at right-back for Preston against Swansea at Deepdale

Neil, though, does want to freshen the squad up with a new face or two, a striker being priority.

The transfer window staying open for more than a month beyond the season’s opening game, means the state of play has plenty of time to change. Asked if he thought some business would be done by the close of play on October 16 – the transfer deadline for EFL clubs – Neil said: “I’m an eternal optimist.”

The North End manager added: “We are trying to sign players, it is difficult, it is not easy.

“It is not an easy market at the moment.

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“We have got a restricted amount that we have got to try and find someone that can help.

“That makes it difficult. If it was easy I would be at someone’s house right now signing them.

“It is not through a lack of effort, a lack of work, not through a lack of anything.

“It is just that it is extremely difficult for us to get anything across the line at the moment.”

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A lack of signings aside, Neil was pleased with how the pre-season went.

Now he is looking forward to seeing his players take what they have done in the friendly games and in training into Championship action. He has got some key selection decisions to make, one of them being whether to use Alan Browne at right-back.

Browne played that role in the Carabao Cup against Mansfield before going away on international duty.

In terms of the goalkeeeper, Connor Ripley could well start with Declan Rudd having missed much of pre-season with a quad injury.

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Said Neil: “Dec has been back training on the grass in the last day or so – hopefully he won’t be too long.

“He has not quite done enough at the moment but we will see how he goes today.

“The way the lads have worked I think all have pushed for selection and that will make it difficult to pick a team.

“I can only pick 11 and I’ve been whittling things down this week, having a look at them in training and getting them organised.

“You are always going to have one or two players who have done well but don’t make the squad or starting line-up.”