Preston are believed to be eyeing a shock move to sign experienced striker Andre Gray on a free transfer this summer.
That’s according to a report from Alan Nixon and The Sun (08/05, p59), who claim that North End are looking to sign Gray to bolster Ryan Lowe’s attack.
Gray, 30, is currently on loan at Queens Park Rangers from Watford.
Gray’s contract expires this summer and he won’t be earning another one at Vicarage Road.
It’s hard to see how Preston can pull off this kind of deal given that Gray would almost certainly earn far beyond the rest of the North End squad.
Gray is the kind of proven Championship player Lowe wants though and recently scored against North End at Deepdale.
A teammate of Daniel Johnson with the Jamaican national team, Gray is no stranger to Lancashire either.
Gray joined Burnley from Brentford back in 2015, spending two years at Turf Moor before moving to Watford for a staggering £18.5million.
Gray was never able to live up to that price tag and has ended up back in the Championship with QPR.
Despite only starting 13 games this season, Gray has bagged 10 goals for the R’s and scored against Swansea City on January.
This would feel like a real departure from Preston’s usual transfer business, with Gray absolutely a proven Championship striker.
You may see a couple of strikers arrive this summer. Cameron Archer is heading back to Aston Villa whilst Ched Evans and Seani Maguire face uncertain futures.
QPR boss Mark Warburton recently hailed Gray, claiming that he has been ‘excellent’ around Loftus Road thanks to his knowledge, experience and hunger.
Those are attributes Lowe would love to have at Preston, but just how North End make the wages work remains to be seen.