Preston North End have moved to activate the release clause of Exeter City striker Jayden Stockley.

The 16-goal striker has been in superb form this term, and now, according to Sky Sports, the club have moved to trigger what is thought to be a £750,000 clause in the forward's contract.

It is also believed that MK Dons have done the same, bidding the same figure to give Stockley a choice of clubs if he can indeed agree terms with either side.

A move into the Championship with North End though is likely to appeal more for Stockley, who will be keen to showcase his talents at the highest level possible.

Preston manager Alex Neil will be delighted to add more firepower to his squad, who have struggled for goals this term and have been languishing in and around the bottom six for the majority of the campaign.

Stockley, who has had spells with the likes of Bournemouth, Luton, and Aberdeen in his career thus far, has been hugely impressive for Paul Tisdale's League Two side this term, and the £750k fee will no doubt be a massive boost to the coffers, despite the loss of one of their key men.

The Verdict

Stockley clearly knows where the back of the next is, so this could prove an excellent signing for either club here.

It's hard to see him looking past Preston though really. There's no reason he shouldn't make the move to the highest league he can, and he would fit right in under a manager like Neil.