After opting to draft in Ryan Lowe as Frankie McAvoy's replacement last year, Preston North End went on to produce some positive performances in the Championship during the second half of the campaign.

The Lilywhites sealed a 13th place finish in the league standings last month and will be determined to push forward as a club next season.

Lowe has already decided to make some alterations to his squad ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

13 players were released by Preston in May whilst Cameron Archer, Daniel Iversen, Josh Murphy and Sepp van den Berg have all returned to their parent-clubs following the expiry of their loan deals.

Yet to make any moves in terms of incomings, it will be interesting to see whether the Lilywhites opt to focus on signing individuals from Championship sides this summer.

Here, we have decided to take a look at eight players who Preston could realistically target in the coming weeks...

A report from Football Insider last month suggested that Preston were interested in making a move for Hull City goalkeeper Matt Ingram.

Luton Town have also been touted as potential suitors for the shot-stopper who has made 43 appearances in the Championship during his career.

In need of a new keeper following the departure of Iversen, Ingram could potentially fit the bill for Preston.

The Lilywhites will need to pay a fee for Ingram this summer after Hull opted to trigger a one-year option in his contract.

Alex Smithies could be an alternative option to Ingram as he is set to become a free-agent this summer when his contract expires at Cardiff City.

Having featured on 336 occasions in the second-tier, the 32-year-old will undoubtedly be confident in his ability to deliver the goods at this level again next season

Preston could potentially benefit from being able to call upon a player who possesses a wealth of Championship experience as they aim to move forward as a club in the upcoming campaign.

If Preston opt against signing Ingram or Smithies, another individual who could potentially be a good fit for the club is Ben Hamer.

Hamer featured on 21 occasions in the Championship for Swansea City last season and is set to leave the Welsh outfit at the end of June.

During his career to date, the 34-year-old has managed to claim a respectable total of 39 clean-sheets in the second-tier and will be keen to illustrate that he is still capable of delivering the goods at this level later this year.

When you consider that Joe Rafferty is set to move on to pastures new when his contract expires, Preston will need to bolster their options at right-back this summer.

One of players who ought to be on their radar is Tommy Smith who was not offered a new deal by Stoke City last month and thus will become a free-agent at the end of June.

Smith averaged a respectable WhoScored match rating of 6.66 in the second-tier last season and demonstrated an attacking threat from his full-back position as he provided seven direct goal contributions in 32 appearances.

Ryan Nyambe could be a good alternative option to Smith as his contract at Blackburn Rovers is set to reach a crescendo this summer and he has yet to agree fresh terms with the Championship side.

Nyambe has a good track-record of delivering the goods in the second-tier and thus he could potentially hit the ground running if he makes the switch to Deepdale.

During the previous campaign, the right-back featured on 31 occasions for Blackburn who finished eighth in the league standings.

If Preston are aiming to strengthen at centre-back or at left-back this summer, Kristian Pedersen could be a perfect addition to their squad as he is capable of playing in both positions.

Set to officially leave Birmingham City at the end of June, the defender possesses a wealth of experience at this level as he has featured in 155 Championship fixtures.

In the 2021/22 season, Pedersen managed to average a respectable WhoScored match rating of 6.80 in the second-tier.

Although Preston will be able to call upon the services of Emil Riis again next season, they may need to draft in a replacement for Archer who recently returned to Aston Villa.

Andre Gray could potentially fill the void left by Archer as he has scored 57 goals at this level during his career and will be available on a free transfer this summer when his deal at Watford expires.

Preston may need to fend off competition from Birmingham City, Cardiff City and Reading for Gray's signature as this trio have all been linked with a move in recent weeks.

Another individual who will be available on a free transfer this summer is David McGoldrick who is set to leave Sheffield United later this month.

McGoldrick has demonstrated throughout his career that he is capable of delivering the goods in the Championship as he has provided 111 direct goal contributions at this level.

Providing that the 34-year-old is able to maintain his fitness next season, he could prove to be a useful addition to Preston's squad if they opt to make a move for him.