Having finished 13th in the Championship last season, the hierarchy at Preston North End will know that more is needed quality-wise within the playing squad to push towards the play-offs in the upcoming 2022-23 campaign.

One big issue for the Lilywhites though is that three of their stand-out individuals were all loanees that realistically aren't going to be heading back to Deepdale.

After a season-and-a-half of excellent, towering Danish stopper Daniel Iversen has headed back to Leicester City and looks set for a new challenge, with the gloves now being filled by Freddie Woodman following his permanent arrival from Newcastle United.

Also leaving PNE and unlikely to return are Sepp van den Berg and Cameron Archer, who returned to Liverpool and Aston Villa respectively.

 

 

 

 

In the case of Archer, his form for the Lilywhites in the second half of the campaign, coupled with his emergence in the England under-21's squad, suggests that a return to North End on loan is going to be extremely unlikely.

Because of that and PNE's shortage of attacking options, replacements now need to be looked at, and presumably to the delight of most North End supporters, a transfer link has emerged to really get pulses racing.

Per the Express & Star, PNE are believed to be considering a loan move for West Bromwich Albion forward Callum Robinson, who of course has spent several years of his career at Deepdale.

Robinson had two loan spells at the club, both in League One and the Championship, before making a permanent move from Aston Villa in 2016, with his stand-out season coming in the 2018-19 campaign.

In a campaign that saw him suffer a serious hamstring injury, Robinson netted 12 times in 27 league matches for PNE - form which saw him secure a Premier League move to Sheffield United for a fee of around £7 million.

He spent just half a season at Bramall Lane though before joining West Brom, where despite netting seven times in the league last season, isn't exactly revered by the Baggies faithful like he is at Deepdale.

Steve Bruce is understood to be willing to let Robinson go this summer, but it's highly doubtful that North End could afford not only the transfer fee, but also to pay the 27-year-old's full wages.

A loan move is more likely in order for Robinson to return to a place where he is adored by the fanbase, but even that may still require Albion to pay a portion of his salary.

Position-wise, Robinson's strengths are best shown when cutting in from the left flank, but Ryan Lowe does not play with wingers - instead utilising width through wing-backs.

There is a vacancy however as a central striker, and it's the one that Archer has freed up following his return to Villa.

Robinson did feature for PNE through the middle occasionally, and it's a position that he is fully capable of performing in, so North End pursuing his signature would be a no-brainer.

With a view to potentially adding Robinson to their squad on a full-time basis next summer, a loan move for the Republic of Ireland international would be perfect business for North End - now it's a case of putting the wheels in motion.