Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has insisted he meant no disrespect to West Brom with regards to his pursuit of Callum Robinson. 

Speaking earlier this month, North End boss Lowe confirmed he is keen for Robinson to make a return to Deepdale this summer with the forward having previously enjoyed three successful spells with the club.

When asked about those comments, West Brom boss Steve Bruce told Preston to ‘put their money where their mouth is’ with Albion having yet to receive an offer that matches their valuation for the Republic of Ireland international.

West Brom are understood to be willing to listen to offers for Robinson according to the Express and Star as they look to move players on ahead of the Championship season.

This left Lowe back tracking on his comments on Robinson, saying: “Well, I read Steve Bruce’s comments and I felt a bit disrespectful. 

“It probably got worded a bit differently (to him) and without talking about other players, who wouldn’t be interested in a Callum Robinson?

“As I have said before. I will just say what I said last time, because unfortunately I have to respect that he’s West Brom’s player. That is all I can say on it and if there’s any change I am sure you will know.

“I don’t ever want to disrespect Steve Bruce and West Brom, because he is a fantastic bloke.” There are still three years remaining on Robinson's contract with West Brom, securing his future at the club until the end of the 2024/25 season.
The Verdict It's no surprise to see Lowe backtrack on his comments and he'll know that he'll need to play by West Brom's rules if they are to land Robinson. It's seemingly a chess game between Preston and West Brom at the moment with Albion holding all of the cards for Robinson. Preston are desperate for more attacking options and have seemingly made Robinson their number one target but that presents hurdles that they'll need to jump through - something they appear to be finding difficult. That being said, West Brom will want to move the player on sooner rather than later so they can utilise their budget as much as possible for further incomings.