Preston have secured four signings – how many more does Ryan Lowe need this summer?

Preston have secured four new signings this summer but Ryan Lowe surely needs a few more in order to truly take North End forward.

Lowe was able to use all of those new additions today as Preston lost 2-1 to Getafe in a pre-season friendly.

Freddie Woodman, Robbie Brady and Ben Woodburn all started the game whilst fellow arrival Dai Cornell come on as a second-half substitute.

Minutes in the legs is the key in pre-season games whilst allowing those new signings to bed in.

So with four players in, how many more does Lowe need in order to enjoy a strong campaign?

Our personal view is that five more players would be ideal for North End, but it would depend on players leaving.

The first is another left wing back.

Brady has looked very good in pre-season with his delivery from out wide posing a major threat.

Yet the Irishman’s injury record is troubling and an ideal signing would be a young left wing back to compete with Brady whilst offering speed up the flank.

Another signing needed is a right wing back, where Brad Potts continues to feature on a regular basis despite that not being his natural position.

Matthew Olosunde seems to be fighting for his Preston future, but he wasn’t fancied as a wing back under Lowe last season and may have a better shot at right-sided centre back.

Preston showed an interest in Cyrus Christie but that deal isn’t happening, meaning another option simply has to be found.

Potts is solid and pretty dependable in that role but again, another dynamic option going forward would give Lowe’s 3-5-2 another dimension.

Then we come to the big area of need – strikers.

Andre Gray chose a move to Aris Thessaloniki, Cameron Archer has gone back to Aston Villa and may not return whilst a deal for Callum Robinson is no sure thing.

Preston need two strikers this summer if they are to really challenge. Ched Evans hasn’t scored since November and neither has Seani Maguire, who now faces a spell on the sidelines with an Achilles injury.

Emil Riis will be Preston’s main threat but it’s too soon to rely on teenager Mikey O’Neil, meaning Preston simply have to find a couple of goalscorers.

For us, that’s the bare minimum; four important signings to really give Lowe’s squad a boost.

The other signing we would like is another right-sided centre back to truly replace Sepp van den Berg.

Jordan Storey is back from Sheffield Wednesday and is trying to impress Lowe as the right-sided centre back, but Van den Berg’s exit may be being overlooked.

The Dutchman is an outstanding talent and losing him from the side makes Preston much weaker, even with Storey or Bambo Diaby potentially ready to step in.

This is a signing that may depend on exits for the likes of Storey or Olosunde and may even be one to look at in January.

Without four or five new faces – and maybe a couple more exits – it would largely feel like more of the same for Preston, failing to back up encouraging noises with concrete signings.

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