Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe has confirmed his interest in Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer ahead of the January transfer window.
Archer, 21, joined PNE on loan from Villa back in January of this year.
A host of other clubs wanted to sign Archer but Lowe sold him on the move to Deepdale – and his relationship with Steven Gerrard can’t have hurt the situation.
Archer was outstanding for North End, bagging seven goals in 20 games, including the superb winner against Blackpool.
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The striker left North End as a real fan favourite and we as a fanbase spent the summer hoping, even praying that he would come back.
It wasn’t to be as Villa chose to keep Archer, but they have only given him 44 minutes of Premier League action this season.
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That could lead to a January loan move and you can be sure that PNE will be calling Villa incessantly to try and lure Archer back.
Lowe has pretty much indicated that now, telling BBC Sport that the conversations can start once PNE hear that Archer is available.
Lowe noted that Archer isn’t PNE’s only target to bolster the front line but didn’t want to talk too much about another team’s player.
“We know what Cam brings and once we’ve heard he’s available I’m sure the communication can start,” said Lowe. “We’ve just got to keep tight lips and get on with it. Cam is not the only target of course, but we have to make sure we do the right things by them and sometimes it’s unfair to talk about whether players have been given the green light or not,” he added.
PNE won’t have the biggest budget to work with in January but Lowe would no doubt love some reinforcements.
Another striker would be ideal, even with Ched Evans finding some form in front of goal in recent appearances.
Archer would fit the bill, giving PNE a boost for the second half of the season.
A playoff place is up for grabs and that little extra firepower could secure a place in the top six come May.
Archer is the kind of goalscorer that could make all the difference and his brother Jordan has already told the Lancashire Post that the striker’s top choice for a January loan would be PNE.
Wage contribution will be the big issue here but let’s hope PNE can sort out a January deal and bring Archer back to Deepdale after all.