Interest in players Preston are looking to offload as five could leave this summer

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Last season they loaned out Kevin O’Connor, Andy Boyle, Eoin Doyle, Marnick Vermijl and Ben Pringle to clubs in League One.

Ideally, all will be found new homes for the campaign ahead – in O’Connor’s case that might be on loan rather than permanently.

Doyle has generated the most interest, which is not surprising bearing in mind his League One scoring stats.

The striker netted 16 goals in two loans with Oldham last term – the spells separated by a bout of illness which kept him out for three months.

PNE will be able to get a fee for the 30-year-old who also scored regularly for Chesterfield at League One level in 2014.

Boyle is attracting interest from clubs in League One and also in Ireland.

A Bosman signing from Dundalk in January 2017, he has found first-team chances limited at Deepdale.

The centre-half spent the second half of last season on loan at Doncaster.

A loan back in the League of Ireland is an option.

That could be a route open to O’Connor too, who is in a slightly different category than the other four.

The left-back has two years left on his contract, whereas the others have a year to go.

O’Connor arrived from Cork City with Sean Maguire last summer.

While Maguire got into the first-team picture straight away, things have been more difficult for the left-back.

After making his Preston debut in the League Cup loss at Accrington, O’Connor had to wait until November for his Championship bow.

After eight league games, he was loaned to Fleetwood in January, before which he scooped one million euro on the Irish lottery.

His time on the Lancashire coast was not the best, playing only fives games for the Cod Army.

As he has two years left on his contract, there is a feeling at Deepdale that he has time on his side to develop.

A short-term option to get O’Connor games could come with a loan move back home – the League of Ireland’s season runs from February through to October.

It is understood that there has yet to be interest in Ben Pringle and Marnick Vermijl.

Pringle spent the second half of last season at Oldham with Doyle.

The midfielder played 15 games and scored once.

His last competitive game in a Preston shirt came way back in December 2016.

Vermijl was loaned out to Scunthorpe in January and made seven appearances, a hamstring injury limiting his game-time.