Trio of deals edge closer for Preston North End

The signs are promising that they will have three of last season’s loan players back at Deepdale before the new season kicks off on August 7.

New loan deals for Daniel Iversen and Sepp van den Berg are edging closer, while a longer-term move for Liam Lindsay is a strong possibility.

North End hope to get deals in place or well down the line in readiness for turning their attention to recruiting in attacking areas.

Leicester are prepared to let goalkeeper Iversen return later in the summer.

Exact terms of the agreement are now being discussed by the clubs, such as wage contribution and if a loan fee would be involved.

Should everything be agreed, Iversen would return closer to the start of the season.

Before then he will be required by Leicester to do some of the pre-season there while they wait for their senior keepers Kasper Schmeichel and Danny Ward to return and rest up after the Euros.

Liverpool are willing to let defender Van den Berg come back to PNE.

Talks are planned with the teenager this week ahead of a move being finalised.

A deal for Lindsay should go through and North End could well land him in a permanent switch.

The Scottish central defender grew in confidence and performance level as his loan from Stoke progressed.

Lindsay being left-footed is an attraction for Preston as they seek balance at the back.

Attempting to get Iversen and Van den Berg back were top of PNE’s to-do list.

Iversen played 23 league games after signing in January when Declan Rudd suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the new year.

The Dane’s performances in the second half of the season really caught the eye.

With Rudd fit for the new season, Iversen coming back would raise the stakes in the goalkeeping department.

It places a question mark against Connor Ripley who played only one league game in the season just finished, that on the opening day.

Van den Berg took a few weeks to nail down a place in the PNE team after joining from Liverpool on February 1.

But he played 15 games in a row from February 24 through to the end of the season.

Getting the trio of deals done would in effect sign off the defensive recruitment and sharpen the focus going forward.

Preston know they need to do business at the other end of the pitch. Last season, 13 teams scored more than them in the Championship, with Coventry matching their tally of 49.

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