Everton boss Frank Lampard believes that Preston North End are a great loan destination for striker Tom Cannon after striking a deal this week.
To say that PNE needed striking reinforcements this month is maybe the understatement of the century.
Seani Maguire and Troy Parrott have been injured, Emil Riis has joined them on the treatment table with a season-ending injury and Ched Evans has also picked up a knock.
Ryan Lowe needed help in the final third and North End duly obliged, signing two new strikers this week.
Everton attacker Cannon was the first to arrive on loan until the end of the season with Liam Delap joining from Manchester City in a similar deal.
Cannon’s move had been rumoured for a few days before PNE got the deal over the line.
The move did make some sense, even going back to Lowe seeing Cannon score for Everton Under-21’s against Paris Saint-Germian earlier in the season.
Cannon hasn’t played senior football outside of a couple of substitute appearances at Everton but there are high expectations fro him.
The 20-year-old could make his PNE debut today as North End host Norwich City at Deepdale.
Everton aren’t exactly blessed with strikers at the moment and some have wondered just why Cannon is being allowed to leave Goodison Park.
Everton boss Frank Lampard has now spoken about Cannon’s move to PNE in his press conference ahead of facing Southampton.
Lampard thinks that a loan spell away from Everton is important for Cannon’s development and his ultimate goal of being a first-team player with the Toffees.
Lampard paid something of a compliment to PNE, noting that joining North End is a ‘really, really good loan’ for Cannon and thinks it’s the right move given that he is behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms in the pecking order.
“Well it’s part of his development,” said Lampard. “Tom’s had a really good year, managed to get some minutes in the first team, scoring a lot of goals. We have to think of the pathway for Tom and I think playing in the Championship for a club like Preston is a really, really good loan for him.”
“Obviously now we have Dominic, we have Neal, we have Ellis back so we have to make decisions for the good of the player, so I think it’s a great loan for him,” he added.