Having secured a 14th place finish in the Championship last month, Preston North End manager Alex Neil will undoubtedly be wanting to take his side to new heights during the upcoming campaign by adding some real quality during the transfer window.

Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the 38-year-old has started his business early by signing Patrick Bauer on a three-year deal following the defender's decision to leave Charlton Athletic last month.

Speaking to the club's official website about the deal, Neil admitted: "Patrick is a strong and powerful defender who we have monitored closely.

"He has experience of playing at the top level in Portugal and adapted very well to English football in the past few years and he will add more competition to our defence in the central positions."

With Bauer being the Lilywhites' first signing of the summer, we have set out two pros as well as two cons that his presence at the back could have on the club's fortunes next season.

Check them out below...

Pros

He was excellent for Charlton in League One last season

A mainstay in Charlton's starting eleven during the 2018/19 campaign, Bauer was utterly outstanding throughout the year and provided the club's supporters with a moment to treasure at Wembley Stadium in May by scoring the winning goal in the League One play-off final.

If he can replicate this kind of form in the Championship next season for Preston, the German could prove to be an invaluable addition to Neil's squad.

He could turn out to be the perfect partner for Ben Davies

Whereas Ben Davies is seemingly nailed on to be one of the Preston's starting central defenders for the foreseeable future after making 40 appearances in the second-tier last season, the other spot is definitely up for grabs and so Bauer will be keen to lay down a marker.

If the former Maritimo defender can fight off competition from the likes of Tom Clarke and Jordan Storey and establish himself as a starter for the Lilywhites, there is no reason why he cannot develop a fruitful partnership alongside Davies which allows his new side to push on towards the play-offs in 2020.

Cons

He has struggled at Championship level before

Whereas Bauer has excelled at League One level over the past 11 months at Charlton, questions still remain over his suitability to the Championship as he struggled to make an impact during his first, and only season in this particular division in 2016.

If the defender cannot make the required adjustments to his game to cope with the trials and tribulations that the second-tier has to offer on a weekly basis, he may end up being cut adrift by Neil who already has a plethora of players to chose from in his position.

He may take a long time to settle in at Deepdale

When Bauer arrived at the Valley in 2015 from Portugal, it took him several months to adapt to his new surroundings before finally becoming a regular fixture in Charlton's side during his second season.

If he ends up repeating this feat at Preston, it is important that Neil gives him plenty of opportunities to prove himself as a failure to do so could very well end in disaster for the defender.