Pundit suggests £5m-rated Preston man ‘ticks all the boxes’ for Rangers move - Nottingham Forest and Derby County latest

Preston North End were defeated 4-1 by Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup third round yesterday.

he Lilywhites return to league action against Bristol City on Saturday.

But there’s also plenty transfer talk ahead of an interesting transfer window for many clubs in the Premier League and EFL.

Preston have three weeks to finalise any potential winter business with the deadline set at 11pm on February 1.

So what’s the latest gossip surrounding Preston North End and their Championship rivals?

As always, we’re sharing the latest rumours from around the second tier – so scroll down to see the latest news and talk from around the internet:

West Ham are planning to make a £30m bid for Watford’s Ismaila Sarr, with reports suggesting that Crystal Palace may prove to be their only competition his signature. (Sun on Sunday)

Roy Keane wants to return to management. The former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder has been focusing on punditry since leaving his role as assistant manager at Nottingham Forest in 2019. (Sun on Sunday)

Aston Villa are considering a move for Bournemouth and Wales midfielder David Brooks. (Sunday Mirror)

Everton are discussing a swap deal with Bournemouth that would see reported Newcastle United target Joshua King head to Goodison Park. The Cherries are interested in either Toffees centre-half Jarrad Branthwaite or right-back Jonjoe Kenny moving the other way. (Sun on Sunday)

However, West Bromwich Albion ‘would be willing to stump up’ £15m to bring Bournemouth forward Josh King to the Hawthorns. (Sun on Sunday)

Preston North End defender Ben Davies ‘ticks all the boxes’ for Rangers after the door opened for a January deal, according to Alan Hutton. The former Rangers and Scotland defender suggested the £5m fee Preston are demanding may be a “stumbling block” for the Ibrox giants. (Football Insider)

Paul Cook (4/11), Chris Coleman (11/4), Neil Thompson (10/1) and Joey Barton (12/1) are the four favourites with the bookies to take over at Sheffield Wednesday. (SkyBet)

Stoke City are ‘weighing up’ a bid for Crewe Alexandra defender Harry Pickering. The left-back has caught the eye in League One and is attracting Championship interest. (Sun on Sunday)

Nottingham Forest and Derby County are among the clubs interested in signing Ben Whiteman from Doncaster Rovers in the January transfer window. Queens Park Rangers, Preston North End and Barnsley are also reported to be interested in securing the services of White from League One club Doncaster this month. (The Athletic)

Queens Park Rangers’ Ilias Chair has been linked with a move to all of Brentford, Bournemouth, Reading and Watford. (Sun on Sunday)

Neil Warnock has all-but ruled out making a move for Famara Diedhiou this month. The Boro boss said: “I’ve not been very lucky with signings from Bristol City so I might probably say no, I might give that a miss.” (Hartlepool Mail)

Leeds United are interested in Derby County's 19-year-old midfielders Jason Knight and Louie Sibley. (Football Insider)