Preston North End are set to beat the transfer deadline to sign St Johnstone midfielder Ali McCann, according to reporter Alan Nixon, with Sky Sports reporting a fee of £1 million being spent by the Lilywhites.

The 21-year-old Northern Ireland international has attracted transfer attention this summer from south of the border in Stoke City, but also from Scottish giants Celtic who apparently were put off by the price-tag of around £3 million, per the Belfast Telegraph.

McCann played 34 times for Callum Davidson's side in the Scottish Premiership last season and has already played a part in the club's Europa League campaign this season until they were knocked out by Turkish side Galatasaray.

The midfielder is under contract at the Perth-based side until the summer of 2023 and Davidson has held firm on his stance of McCann saying that he will only go when his price-tag is met.

Now it looks like North End have beaten the deadline to bring him to Deepdale and he will compete with the likes of Ben Whiteman, Daniel Johnson and Ryan Ledson for a place in Frankie McAvoy's midfield.

The Verdict

Just when it looked like things had gone quiet on the transfer front at Deepdale a curveball has been delivered.

With Tom Bayliss heading to Wigan Athletic on loan, there was a need to bring in a more defensive-minded midfielder to compete with Whiteman and Ledson in the double pivot.

McCann definitely fits that role but less than a year after PNE paid a seven-figure fee for Whiteman, it's a surprise to see Trevor Hemmings seemingly open his cheque book once again for what appears to be a similar player to the ex-Doncaster man.

North End fans are excited though and now we just have to wait and see if the deadline really has been beaten.