Championship side Preston North End are now closing in on the signing of Manchester United left-back Alvaro Fernandez, according to an update from the Daily Mail.

The Lilywhites are already close to securing one signing with Troy Parrott set to arrive on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, beating the likes of Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland to his signature in the process.

However, Ryan Lowe's side are also in need of another option on the left-hand side with Josh Murphy departing the club on the expiration of his loan deal and Josh Earl being released this summer.

Spain youth international Fernandez is unlikely to be a big part of Erik ten Hag's plans at Old Trafford next term with the likes of Luke Shaw and Alex Telles already available as options.

Tyrell Malacia also arrived from Feyenoord earlier this month, pushing him further down the pecking order at his current club and this looks set to benefit the Lancashire side who are now poised to recruit him after seeing him impress in United's youth system last term.

He was reportedly spotted at last Saturday's friendly against Accrington Stanley and though the deal isn't done yet according to the Lancashire Evening Post, the Daily Mail believe he will be joining imminently.

The Verdict:

This is an area that definitely needed addressing so it will come as a relief to many of the second-tier side's supporters that they look set to bring him in before the start of the new campaign.

Ideally, he would have spent all of pre-season at Deepdale but it's no surprise that he wasn't let go earlier this summer considering Erik ten Hag probably wanted to take a closer look at him before deciding the best next steps for his future.

United may be paying a portion of his stages on the condition he gets plenty of game time, so this is a potential agreement that could work out for all parties if the 19-year-old thrives in Lancashire.

At 19, this is probably an ideal time for the youngster to head out on loan and after being given two years to settle down in England, the teenager is probably hungry to prove his worth and that can only be a good thing for the Lilywhites.

It may take him a while to adapt to regular first-team football in the second tier but with an experienced option like Greg Cunningham also competing for a starting spot, this should be a low-risk addition.