The search for a new right wing-back at Preston North End goes on, as another potential target has seemingly headed elsewhere.

Changes were always going to happen this summer due to Ryan Lowe's system - an attacking 3-5-2 was adopted upon his arrival in December 2021, in what was the same formation that Frankie McAvoy used but how it is operated is entirely different.

For most of the second half of last season, Brad Potts was converted from a midfielder to a wing-back to fill the slot, and whilst he was a steady hand for the most part, he isn't the quick and attacking outlet that Lowe has been looking for.

Lowe has been hunting for that particular individual this summer - Cyrus Christie was the first name to be linked, but a deal didn't seem to materialise despite talks - the Republic of Ireland international remains a free agent.

A number of other names have been discussed amongst PNE fans, but one that emerged in recent days is Manchester United's Ethan Laird.

The 20-year-old was a name that made a lot of sense, especially after seeing fellow Red Devil Alvaro Fernandez fire in two assists in North End's 4-1 Carabao Cup success over Huddersfield Town - having Laird on one side and the Spaniard on the other would suit United down to the ground you would imagine.

It initially started as chatter online that North End wanted Laird, who spent last season on loan in the Championship at Swansea City and Bournemouth, but surprising news emerged on Thursday morning that it was in-fact QPR that he would be heading to for the 2022-23 season.

The Manchester Evening News have since reported that North End were definitely interested in signing Laird before he opted to head to London, as well as LancsLive claiming that the Lilywhites asked about the potential addition of the youngster.

Whilst it's not very clear if Laird was the individual that Lowe was talking about when it came to claiming that North End were 'down the line' with an agreement with a wing-back, it now narrows the field down somewhat.

They must now move on to another name, and the one that many will have in mind is Arsenal's Brooke Norton-Cuffy, who looks to be being primed for a loan move away from the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Per The Athletic's David Ornstein, Norton-Cuffy has extended his contract at the Gunners following his breakout temporary stint with Lincoln City in League One last season, and is now seemingly ready for the next step to the Championship.

The 18-year-old excelled under former PNE midfielder Michael Appleton in a back four and also as a wing-back, often making surging runs down the right flank, and whilst his end product wasn't always up to scratch, the raw ability is clear for all to see.

Per Wyscout, Norton-Cuffy attempted 94 dribbles in his 17 appearances, completing 45 of them, as well as putting 55 crosses into the opposition box - 19 of which were accurate.

There were also 42 interceptions and a pass accuracy of 74.7 per cent, proving that the youngster can do a little bit of everything.

His experience with the England under-19's this summer at the European Championships, in which he played five times, will only have made Norton-Cuffy get better before his inevitable loan deal to the second tier.

He is a player that Ryan Lowe must now move heaven and earth to sign, as he's exactly what the Lilywhites need driving down the right flank - it would certainly be exciting watching that with Fernandez doing the same things on the opposite side.