Verdict - Preston North End are playing a risky game as they let contracts of key players run down

It is nothing new, as it has been public knowledge since September, but it has been brought more into the light off the back of Liam Lindsay speaking yesterday.

He was the player put up for media duties pre match and I asked him about his contract situation, he has less than 12 months left, with the Scot answering that he had not heard anything about extending his stay and didn’t know what PNE were thinking on that front.

It’s North End’s best player this season not knowing whether or not the club are likely to want to keep him beyond this season – it’s incredibly risky.

North End are not entering contract talks with their players until at least the new year, so said manager Ryan Lowe shortly after the transfer window closed.

It’s a new approach for PNE, who, in the past, have tied their players down a bit earlier. Sometimes that has worked, with the likes of Jordan Storey and Emil Riis, and sometimes it hasn’t – Josh Harrop.

The fear at the moment is that the Lilywhites will find themselves in another ‘big four’ situation. That was when Ben Pearson, Ben Davies, Alan Browne and Daniel Johnson were all in their final six months of their deal. In the end the first two left for far below their value and the latter two signed bumper new deals.

The current strategy of leaving contract talks until January at the earliest, but more ideally in May, comes from Lowe. He was never offered a new contract early when he was a player and sees no need for current players to have such.

The game, however, has changed. If Lindsay’s agent, working for statistically one of the best defenders in the league this season, isn’t talking to other clubs already, looking for a longer deal, stability and even potentially a pay rise, he’s not doing his job properly.

That isn’t to say he should be offering his client everywhere at every possible opportunity - although some agents may take that appraoch – Lindsay currently doesn’t have the stability at North End that a lot of players will crave. Likewise with Ryan Ledson who has also been an important player this season, has won the player of the year award before and at 25 still has plenty of good years to give.

There are nine players currently due to leave the club next summer, with two further loans, and whilst that offers potential maneuverability in the transfer market, there are players in there that deserve to stay and deserve to be able to know where they will be living beyond the summer.

It’s all well and good relying on honest, hard working pros, that PNE have been fortunate to have for some years now, that will just sit down and sign the contract when you ask them to because they like it here but they are equally as entitled to turn around and say no. And they will not be the bad guy in this situation.

It is another issue that is causing supporters concern, a lack of proactivity in securing their best talents, and it is avoidable.