Preston defender Josh Earl is back at Deepdale, but he wasn’t in the squad to face Blackburn Rovers on Saturday – and there’s likely a very good reason for that.
Earl’s loan spell with Bolton Wanderers ended last week, and North End decided not to renew that. The plan now is to loan him out again, and had he played against Blackburn, he wouldn’t have been able to go out again.
Earl is now a man in demand after a strong first half of the season. The 21-year-old has shown development this season, and even great adjustment by switching from left back to centre back.
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Now, The Sun claim that Ipswich Town and Rotherham United are both keen on Earl, but so far Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire in a quite bizarre rumour.
It’s hard to see North End sending Earl over to America right now, and a move to League One – this time to a team challenging at the top – seems more likely.
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In fact, TWTD claim that Ipswich are already discussing a deal with North End, and hope to bring him to Portman Road to work under Paul Lambert.
The Tractor Boys do already have Luke Garbutt at left back, but with the Daily Mail claiming Sheffield United want Ipswich defender Luke Woolfenden, meaning Earl could be eyed as a centre back option again.
Getting Earl featuring in a competitive side would be a great move after seeing him fare well in a battling Bolton team, though would see him leave the North West.