Preston were snubbed by Swansea City striker Michael Obafemi back in August, and he now appears to be finally finding his feet in South Wales.
North End were desperate for an attacking addition before the August transfer deadline but couldn’t secure another striker.
Winger Josh Murphy did come in from Cardiff City but has barely been seen in a Preston shirt.
A number of striking options were considered, with Obafemi a prime target.
Hampshire Live reported that Preston wanted to sign Obafemi from Southampton, and we understand a bid was made.
However, Swansea secured Obafemi’s signature, paying £1.5million rising to £2million for the young Irish striker.
Snubbing Preston looked to be backfiring earlier this season after Obafemi was dropped by boss Russell Martin due to professionalism issues.
It looked like Swansea’s investment could end up becoming a big problem, but Obafemi is now proving his worth and showing why Preston wanted him.
In Obafemi’s last seven games, he has racked up four goals and one assist for the Swans in a superb run of form.
Before those seven games, Obafemi had found the net just once in 13 outings for Swansea.
Now offering a viable second scoring option outside of Joel Piroe, Obafemi appears to be overcoming his issues from earlier in the season.
That’s the player Preston wanted to secure last year, and with Cameron Archer set to return to Aston Villa this summer, the search for at least one more striker will be back on for Preston.
It may well take another £1.5million to £2million – just like Obafemi – to give Preston what they’re seeking, and North End will ultimately hope for more success with summer targets than they had with Obafemi last summer.