Preston North End struck late on deadline day to sign Josh Murphy from Cardiff City – and it’s easy to see a long-term future for him at Deepdale.
PNE needed to find attacking additions before the transfer window slammed shut, and left it late to land Murphy.
The winger comes in on loan from Cardiff, just three years after the Bluebirds paid a huge £11million to sign him from Norwich City.
Murphy has found first-team football hard to come by at Cardiff, failing to even play a minute of Championship action.
What’s interesting is that Murphy’s contract expires at the end of the season, and Cardiff have allowed him out on loan with no extension in place.
Mick McCarthy’s men seem willing to let Murphy go for free, and that presents PNE with a head start on other clubs for the winger’s permanent signature.
Having Murphy at the club for the season gives North End a chance to show Murphy that this can be his permanent home.
With Scott Sinclair and Tom Barkhuizen both out of contract at the end of the season too, we could see the duo moved on and Murphy brought in.
If Murphy shines, he could end up being PNE’s first signing of next summer, with that thought surely already in the minds of Frankie McAvoy and Peter Ridsdale.