Preston North End are being linked with a bizarre move to sign Ferencvaros hitman Ryan Mmaee on a loan-to-buy deal.
Every transfer window brings up some pretty random names when it comes to PNE.
Fans may remember the speculation surrounding a move for Borussia Dortmund defender Antonios Papadopoulos last summer.
Then there was Lorient striker Ibrahima Kone, who was linked with a deadline day move to Deepdale in August 2022.
Neither of those amounted to anything and neither did a January rumour surrounding former Barcelona wide man Konrad De La Fuente.
We now have an entry for the bizarre rumour mill in this transfer window with Ferencvaros striker Ryan Mmaee allegedly wanted.
Football Insider report that PNE have offered a loan-to-buy deal for Mmaee, with the permanent option set at £3million for next summer.
Ferencvaros have allegedly rejected the offer as they seek a permanent sale this summer with Luton Town interested.
PNE’s transfer record is thought to be just shy of the £2million mark, so a deal reaching £3million would have been bonkers.
North End seemingly don’t have a big budget anyway, so maybe this was a cheeky attempt to take Mmaee on loan with little chance of the permanent move – if the rumour is even true, as it seems a little far-fetched for PNE’s current situation.
Who is Ryan Mmaee?
Mmaee was born in Belgium and spent time with Gent before breaking through with Standard Liege.
The early years were tough going for Mmaee; one goal in 13 games for Standard, one goal in 20 games on loan at Beveren and three goals in 12 on loan at AGF in Denmark.
Mmaee was subsequently sold to Cypriot side AEL Limassol, where he found his scoring touch with 25 goals in 59 games.
Hungary’s biggest club Ferencvaros pounced in 2021, and Mmaee has been a regular goalscorer with 32 goals in 73 games, alongside 15 assists.
Mmaee still has two years left to run on his Ferencvaros contract but the Hungarian champions have just signed a new striker in Serbian hitman Aleksandar Pesic.
The 25-year-old switched his international allegiance to play for Morocco in 2016, and he has now bagged four goals in 12 caps.
Mmaee comes from a footballing family; brothers Samy, Jack and Camil are all footballers too, playing for Ferencvaros, Rupel Boom and Bologna respectively.
Mmaee would be an enormous signing for PNE’s attack and is of a good age at just 25.
International caps, title wins, plenty of goals – it sadly just seems to good to be true for PNE to land a player like Mmaee this summer.