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 have emerged as a contender to sign Izzy Brown, according to reports from Lancs Live.

The attacking midfielder is facing an uncertain future after coming to the end of his Chelsea contract and failing to earn a new deal at Stamford Bridge.

As a result the 24-year-old is searching for a new club after a difficult couple of years, including a spell with Sheffield Wednesday last term where he made 21 appearances as the club suffered relegation to League One.

With the Lilywhites keen on a move for the player it means that he could be afforded another chance to succeed in the Championship, but would Izzy Brown be a good signing for Preston North End?

The team at FLW have their say...

 

 

Ben Wignall

I have my reservations about this one but the more I think about it, the more I feel as though Brown has been dealt a bad hand in recent years.

His definite stand-out season was in 2016-17 when he scored four times in 15 appearances for Huddersfield, but he hasn't really been able to kick on for a number of reasons.

Some of that is due to not being selected by the clubs he's been loaned to from Chelsea or he's suffered from bad injuries, which is why he only played one league game for Leeds in 2018-19.

By all accounts Luton fans rated Brown but again injuries restricted him from getting a full season under his belt, and at Sheffield Wednesday he was fit most of the time but just wasn't really given a chance.

Considering he's been around for so long it's hard to believe that Brown is still only 24, and for that reason he may be worth a punt for at least one year to see if he can prove he's over his injury struggles and to see what happens when he gets a run of games under his belt.

Brown clearly has technical quality as he wouldn't have been under contract at Chelsea for so long, but it's up to him to show that he can now consistently do it at Championship level and Deepdale could be the ideal destination to resurrect his career.

Toby Wilding

Even though the fact he is available on a free may be tempting, I'm not sure about this one for Preston in all honesty. There is no doubting that Brown is a talented player, however, it just doesn't feel like we have ever seen enough of that on a consistent basis during his time out on loan. Injuries admittedly haven't helped with that, but even when he has been fit, his record is probably not what you would expect for an attacking midfielder on loan in the Championship from a club with the size and pedigree of Chelsea, with goals and assists not something he has really been prolific in terms of providing for his loan sides. As a result, I do think this would represent a risk for Preston from both a form and fitness perspective, meaning that given they do have plenty of options in the centre of the park already, I might be tempted to assess other targets before rushing into a deal here if I were them. Chris Gallagher It's a risk worth taking for North End. Firstly, you have to say that Brown has not gone on to fulfil his potential as many had hoped. He had a torrid time at Sheffield Wednesday last season and his career has stalled for a few years. However, he does have ability and the qualities he can bring to the pitch are where Preston are lacking. He is capable of finding space in the final third, has an eye for a past and can offer something unpredictable on the ball. Finding players with that bit of magic in attack has to be a priority for Preston in the window, so Brown could help in that sense. The reality is that the club just aren't able to compete financially with many of their Championship rivals, so it's about taking risks and trying to develop players. Therefore, Brown could work and they could be the ideal club for the attacking midfielder to show his talents.