Preston North End talent Jacob Slater is allegedly on the verge of completing a move to Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion.
PNE fans are mostly waiting to hear any kind of news about Tom Cannon’s return, so news of Slater’s alleged exit has come as a huge shock.
Football Insider claim that Brighton have now agreed a deal to take Slater to the South Coast.
It’s claimed that Brighton scouts have identified Slater as a real talent for the future.
The Seagulls are claimed to have a deal in place for 18-year-old Slater, althought it’s unclear just how much they are paying.
This has come out of absolutely nowhere and PNE fans certainly weren’t expecting to see Slater leave the club.
The teenager has emerged in the youth ranks and has certainly impressed boss Ryan Lowe.
Lowe hailed Slater as ‘phenomenal’ after bringing him on against Wolverhampton Wanderers in an EFL Cup tie last August.
Lowe even went as far to suggest in March that Slater would already be a top League Two talent, possibly even a mid-table League One player.
Slater has featured prominently in pre-season, both as a left-sided centre back and as a left wing back.
The teenager seemed primed for action moving forward with PNE lacking options on the left side right now.
PNE instead appear to be cashing in and fans will hope to see a decent fee and sell-on clause as part of the deal.
Brighton’s talent identification has been exceptional in recent years and for them to see something in Slater shows the kind of prospect PNE have right now.
Maybe we see a Brighton player head to Deepdale as part of the deal; we know North End need a left wing back and Seagulls talent James Furlong is available on loan.
This is an incredible chance for Slater and we could never blame him for leaping at the chance, we just have to hope that PNE have landed a tidy deal for the teenager.