Ryan Lowe has outlined hopes for some incoming transfers at Preston North End amid rising concern from supporters.
Lowe has been speaking to iFollow after PNE returned to training to being pre-season preparations on Monday.
Lowe admitted that he would have liked to see PNE bring in one or two more faces ahead of pre-season getting started.
North End have landed just one signing so far, taking Liverpool wing back Calvin Ramsay on loan for the season.
The Scot hasn’t joined up with PNE just yet though as he recovers from an injury at Liverpool, but Lowe is happy to have him on board.
Lowe adds that PNE have been holding meetings and Zoom calls to try and get signings in the door, with talks held for a couple of players on Monday.
Lowe claims he is ‘quite comfortable’ with the situation, wanting PNE to recruit ‘smartly’ rather than just sign anybody get bodies in the door.
“We’d have liked to have had one or two more potentially through the door, but it hasn’t been for the lack of trying,” said Lowe. “We’ve got down the line with one and it sort of petered out a little bit, but to get Calvin done early doors [was good].”
“He’s with Liverpool for the time being. He’ll come to Spain with us and then he’ll be with us full-time after that. He’s just recovering from a niggling injury he had. Liverpool want to keep him there which is fine and that’s good by us, but he’ll be ready to go when he comes. He’ll be game ready which is important.”
“We’re down the line with a few players. We’ve got meetings with agents and Zoom calls and everything else which goes with it which is hard work.”
“The last week’s been tough in terms of the calls you’ve got to make and the Zooms you’ve got to do, presentations you’ve got to do, but it’s part and parcel. We’re on with one or two today. There’s a couple of potential offers out there already as of today, we’ve made sure we got those out.”
“I’m quite comfortable with where we are. I think the whole business is quite slow, but as I’ve said numerous times we’ve got to recruit smartly and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” he added.
PNE desperately need new signings
Lowe may be calm at the moment but there is a rising sense of panic in the PNE fanbase.
The confirmed exits of Daniel Johnson and Josh Onomah were widely expected but have left North End short of creative quality.
Replacements for Johnson and Onomah will now be needed, with fans fearing that midfielders of similar ability will be difficult to sign.
North End also need another left wing back to replace Alvaro Fernandez after his return to Manchester United.
There are big problems up front too as PNE look set to enter the season without Emil Riis, Ched Evans or Finlay Cross-Adair available to play.
PNE need three strikers or even more, which is a huge problem given the cost of signing top goalscorers and North End’s apparently limited budget.
North End’s squad is lacking numbers and quality, so whilst Lowe is outwardly calm, even he must be a little worried deep down with PNE needing to do major business.