Preston North End are actually heading towards the end of a season with striking options looking pretty solid and settled.
We are used to seeing PNE finish a campaign and go into the transfer window needing a striker.
This summer may be a little different with Ryan Lowe currently having a number of options at his disposal.
Emil Riis and Will Keane have formed a superb partnership in recent weeks and record signing Milutin Osmajic poses a threat too.
Ched Evans is out of contract this summer and his injury record means that PNE may move on this summer.
There could be scope to land an experienced striker if Evans is let go but PNE do have another forward emerging.
Layton Stewart joined PNE from Liverpool last summer and has yet to actually start a league game this season.
North End had to build Stewart up physically, trying to get him ready for Championship action after featuring for Liverpool’s Under-23’s.
Stewart came on for 71 minutes against Plymouth Argyle before the international break, playing more minutes in that appearance than the rest of the season.
Ryan Lowe on Layton Stewart
Stewart will be hoping to kick on and make more of an impact before the season ends, with Evans still out of action and his return date unknown.
A start against Rotherham United still seems unlikely but Stewart’s impressive display against Plymouth Argyle has been cause for real encouragement.
PNE boss Lowe has now told the club’s official X account that Stewart was actually going to go out on loan during the January transfer window.
That didn’t materialise and Lowe now feels that Stewart has ‘gone above and beyond’ in terms of his development in recent weeks.
Lowe feels that Stewart is ‘rising all the time’ and deserves his chance to shine having made so much progress.
Stewart will hope for a first Championship start before the season ends and then goes into a first full pre-season as a North End player.
The 21-year-old was so highly rated in the Liverpool ranks and there is clearly big potential in his game.
Stewart has plenty of competition for places in the North End attack but he has clearly caught Lowe’s eye and it’s nice to have a young, promising striker tied down to the club permanently after the loan spells of Cameron Archer and Tom Cannon.