Preston boss Ryan Lowe has opened up on his scouting plans for this week as North End ramp up their summer transfer activity.
The end of the season is in sight now and Preston are primed for a busy summer.
Lowe needs to re-tool this Preston squad and really bring it up to speed as he targets an improved campaign next season.
It’s unclear just how much money Preston will be able to spend this summer, but Lowe is hopeful of bringing in quality recruits.
Lowe is clearly putting the work in and has outlined his travelling plans this week as North End chase signings.
Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, Lowe indicated that he will be flying abroad next week to watch a potential addition.
Lowe added that he will be on a train on Tuesday morning – mere hours after Preston’s game against Blackburn – to do the same.
“I will be on a flight somewhere next week, I will be on the train on Tuesday morning,” said Lowe. “We are working tirelessly hard, we’ve got targets. We are speaking to agents, going to watch players and we’ve got to continue to do that.”
“I’ve got presentations for all the players to look at eventually we can get to meet them, we will sit down with them, discuss where I want to take the football club and where they can fit into my system and where they can fit into what we’re trying to do. We just keep working hard and hopefully we can get a couple in early doors,” he added.
So just who could Lowe be watching?
This is merely guesswork here and we would forgive Lowe for laughing at us even trying to piece this together.
Still, here goes. For Lowe to be travelling from the North West on Tuesday morning for a night game, you would assume the game in question is quite a distance away.
We can’t really see Preston being in the market to snatch Championship players, so we’re ruling out Barnsley v Blackpool, Fulham v Nottingham Forest and Swansea City v Bournemouth.
In League One, Fleetwood doesn’t quite fit the bill but Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic has potential to be on the radar.
Preston have just been linked with Portsmouth goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who is on loan from Manchester City.
Daniel Iversen’s loan deal ends this summer and Preston will need a new goalkeeper. Bazunu ticks the boxes for Preston and Lowe may be able to see him in action against a dangerous Wigan side.
Pompey teammate Ronan Curtis has been on the Preston radar for a while and has switched to playing as a striker brilliantly this season.
Leicester striker George Hirst has impressed on loan at Pompey this season, bagging 10 goals in the process and at 23, may be ready to move on for first-team action.
Also in that game will be Wigan attacker Callum Lang, a player Lowe has previously branded ‘lethal’, but we can’t see North End being able to raid the Latics if they win promotion as expected.
The same goes for players involved in Sunderland v Rotherham United, with both clubs chasing promotion.
Swindon Town v Forest Green Rovers in League Two could fit the bill though, especially given the away side’s wing backs.
Right-sided Kane Wilson is out of contract this season and has been exceptional with 14 assists. Right wing back is an area Preston must strengthen and 22-year-old Wilson could be ideal.
On the left side, Nicky Cadden has been great too. The Scot certainly fits the ‘speedy’ mould that Lowe fancies on the left side, and he has racked up 13 assists as well as six goals this season.
There are others in the Forest Green side who may appeal. Preston were linked with defender Udoka Godwin-Malife last summer, for instance.
Midfielder Ebou Adams is a fine box-to-box player and is out of contract this summer, but do Preston need another player in that mould?
We would make those two games the most likely destinations for Lowe on Tuesday, but the Preston boss could have something else up his sleeve.