Preston chasing Bayliss move, interest in Campbell, Lowe linked too

Preston confirmed their third summer signing earlier today, announcing Andre Green’s arrival.

The Aston Villa winger has penned a season-long loan deal, replacing Callum Robinson. With a week to go until the transfer deadline, North End have plenty more business to do.

Social media has been rife with a few names today, and we noted earlier that four more new faces could be on the way.

Let’s start with Coventry City midfielder Tom Bayliss. The Coventry Telegraph report this evening that Preston are ‘closing in’ on Bayliss, in a massive coup.

We understand that Bayliss’s move is very close, for a fee that may approach the club’s transfer record. Two Championship clubs have been beaten by North End for Bayliss, whilst TEAMtalk recently claimed that Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds all wanted him.

That represents an ambitious move for North End. The 20-year-old is a classy midfielder, who has been ranked up with James Maddison and Callum Wilson as one of Coventry’s top youth academy stars in recent years.

This is the kind of move that we would praise Brentford or Bristol City for making, so North End deserve huge credit for this one. Barring any late issues, we’re expecting Bayliss to be a Preston player imminently.

Another name mentioned is striker Fraizer Campbell. The 31-year-old left Hull City at the end of last season, with the Tigers unable to afford a new deal.

We believe that Campbell has been a target for North End, fitting the bill in terms of Championship know-how. Wages have been an issue, and a compromise would have to be reached to get a deal done, potentially with a hefty signing-on fee.

Campbell, 31, hit 12 goals and six assists last season in a fine campaign. An experienced, proven Championship striker, Campbell could be a smart addition on a free transfer. There’s some work to do here if it’s too happen, and doesn’t seem as far down the line as Bayliss.

Elsewhere, Football Insider claim Preston have made a bid for Derby County’s Max Lowe. That hints that the move is permanent, though we were told earlier this week that a loan move looked more likely.

It may well be that, with Derby paying big cash for Krystian Bielik, a permanent deal for Lowe has become a possibility. Lowe, 22, starred on loan at Aberdeen last season, earning plaudits for his attacking play.

This one doesn’t seem quite as close as Bayliss or Campbell, but is one being chased. Bringing Lowe would allow Josh Earl to go out on loan, but would create issues down the line, with three left backs potentially on the books.

Hopefully Bayliss and Campbell can be done and dusted soon, and Lowe can be sorted shortly after. Another goalkeeper may be targeted too, but social media rumours of a deal for Fraser Forster are premature. This would certainly be an exciting end to the transfer window, after a fairly quiet first couple of months.