Preston North End have suffered a blow today, with Football Insider reporting that Andre Gray has indeed decided to join Aris Thessaloniki on a deal this summer.
The Lilywhites have been linked with a move for the forward since the 2021/22 season came to an end and with the player heading out of the exit door at Watford, it seemed like a deal would be possible.
Ryan Lowe wants to bring in players that have Championship experience in a bid to try and get PNE towards the play-off spots next season. Gray would certainly fit that bill and a switch looked like it was on the cards.
However, reports have emerged over the past few days suggesting that the 31-year-old could end up in Greece instead - and Football Insider have now confirmed that the player has decided to leave England and head to Aris.
Gray spent the last campaign on loan with QPR and although he could manage only 13 starts for the Hoops in total, he still produced a hefty amount of goals given his time on the field. He bagged ten in total and even managed one assist to boot.
That led to an average of 0.81 goals or assists per 90 - a superb record in the second tier and one that no doubt had Ryan Lowe rubbing his hands together over a potential deal.
However, it seems certain now that PNE will have to look elsewhere, with the striker set to leave England for the first time in his football career.
The Verdict
Andre Gray would have been a superb signing for Preston had they been able to pull it off, especially considering their need for additional striker options.
His record in the second tier reads well on paper and whilst he was more of a bit-part player for QPR last season, he still produced the goods when he got onto the field. It shows that at 31, he still isn't slowing down and could have done even better given regular football in the Championship.
Instead, it looks like the forward fancies a fresh challenge and is heading to Greece. Aris Thessaloniki will give him the chance to play at a top level and could even allow the striker to test himself in Europe too which would be a big selling point for the player.
As for North End, they will now have to begin reaching out to potential other targets as they hunt for options to bolster their strikeforce.