Preston North End are interested in Max Johnston with the Motherwell teenager believed to be attracting major interest ahead of the summer.
That’s according to Scottish newspaper The Daily Record, who claim that Johnston has three Championship suitors already.
PNE are believed to be one of the interested clubs with Luton Town and Sheffield United also keen on signing Johnston.
It’s noted that Johnston is now inside the final few months of his Motherwell contract and he can move to England for modest compensation.
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All three clubs have allegedly ‘ramped up their interest’ in Johnston and Motherwell are now in real danger of losing their young star.
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Who is Preston North End target Max Johnston?
Johnston has been coming through the Motherwell ranks since the age of 12 but was born in Middlesbrough as he is the son of former Boro winger Allan Johnston.
After making a first-team debut for Motherwell in 2021, Johnston moved out on loan to Queen of the South and, more recently, Cove Rangers.
Motherwell have brought Johnston back into the first-team fold of late and the results have been positive.
Johnston has been playing as a right wing back, and we all know that PNE desperately need to add a natural right wing back.
The 19-year-old has featured in each of Motherwell’s last six Scottish Premiership games and bagged his first goal against St Mirren on Wednesday night.
Johnston’s strike was a thing of beauty as he found the top corner of the net from a tight angle.
Whilst Johnston is pretty inexperienced, he does already have a Scotland Under-21 cap to his name – and found the net then too.
Johnston appears to be a talent for the future and that’s certainly what PNE need after a raft of short-term signings in the last year or so.
Beating Sheffield United and Luton Town won’t be easy in this transfer race but Johnston ticks some of the boxes for PNE and we could see a move materialise in the coming months.