This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Preston North End are one of a number of clubs interested in Notts County striker Macaulay Langstaff, according to a report from Football Insider.

Along with Championship rivals Swansea, Cardiff and Bristol City, the Lilywhites have been credited with being keen on the prolific 25-year-old, who has taken the National League by storm this season.

Having netted 28 times in 39 sixth tier outings for Gateshead in 2021-22, Langstaff has continued his form with the Magpies in the level above following a £50,000 summer move, and currently sits on 18 goals in 20 league matches in 2021-22.

Despite being under contract at Meadow Lane until the summer of 2024, Langstaff is now attracting significant interest from higher up the footballing pyramid if reports are to be believed, with PNE a team that are desperate to add a striker to their ranks in the upcoming January transfer window.

 

 

 

 

Would Langstaff be a good fit for North End though? Let's take a look what the FLW team think...

Ben Wignall

Ryan Lowe’s desperation for a new striker is clear for all to see, and if he can’t get his hands on Cameron Archer again then he is going to have to look elsewhere.

Many EFL clubs are looking for the next Jamie Vardy in non-league, and Langstaff has had that exact rise having started with clubs like Stockton Town and Billingham Synthonia in the North East of England.

Langstaff’s rise seems to have happened very suddenly - he didn’t pull up many trees with York in the National League North but since the start of last season, things seem to have clicked in a major way.

He doesn’t have electric pace but he has scored a lot of different types of goals for County this season - you just have to wonder though would three levels up be a step too far.

There is also the fact that County will more-than likely want a fee of around £1 million for his services - or perhaps just a little bit less - and that is significant for a player who is only doing it in non-league.

Despite PNE’s desperation for a new attacker, I’d probably steer clear of this one.

Chris Gallagher

I think this is a risk worth taking for Preston.

We know that North End have seriously struggled for goals this season and bringing in a striker has to be the priority when the window opens in January.

The risk with Langstaff is obvious as he is totally unproven would be making the jump up from the fifth tier of English football to the Championship, so it's a massive one.

However, Preston aren't in a position where they can throw millions at a proven player, instead it's about finding gems and Langstaff could fit the bill.

He has an ability to be in the right place and he is a good finisher, whilst he would be desperate to take this opportunity if it comes up.

So, I think Ryan Lowe should push for this one and it could be a deal that looks a shrewd one once the striker has had time to settle at a higher level.

Toby Wilding

This feels like an interesting one to consider from a Preston perspective.

Given they have one of the lowest goalscoring records in the Championship, there can be no denying that they need should be looking add some firepower to their squad once the transfer window reopens.

There can be no denying that Langstaff's prolific goalscoring record for in the past season-and-a-half is exciting, but the fact he has never played above National League level means he would be making a big step up in the quality of opposition he would be facing with a move to Preston.

As a result, you feel that given it remains to be seen how he would cope with the pressure of such a change in environment, it would be a risk Preston to rely solely on Langstaff to solve their goalscoring issues, so they may need to have other targets in mind.