Investors are watching the activities of Preston North End closely following with a view to potentially purchasing the Lilywhites in the near future, according to The Athletic.

It comes after the passing of long-serving owner Trevor Hemmings last month at the age of 86, leaving his son Craig in charge having already been chairman of PNE.

Hemmings bought North End in 2010 and saved them from potential financial peril after being served with a winding-up order and helped oversee their climb back into the Championship in 2015.

He regularly pumped money into the club on a monthly basis to offset the losses North End were making due to the low turnover compared to other Championship clubs, but with control of the club now passing down the family there has been questions raised over who will own the club and how much money will continue to be put in.

Per The Athletic, investors who are 'watching the market' are discussing North End as a potential option to purchase in the near future, but they are doing so with respect due to the timing of Hemmings' recent passing and that nothing is imminent in terms of a play for the club being made.

The Verdict

This is intriguing news for PNE fans regardless of the fact that nothing looks to be imminent.

Despite Craig Hemmings stating that it's business as usual going forward for the club, there's no clear indication that he will be willing to fund the club's losses as much as his father did over the last 11 years.

North End's low attendances compared to most of the league, coupled with a rising wage bill and low turnover means that they are unable to run at a profit unless they receive sizeable transfer fees.

New investment to work alongside the current ownership or to replace them would be welcomed by some but others believe it's a case of 'better the devil you know' and would prefer for the Hemmings family to stick around.