Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe admitted his side had to beat off competition to sign Tottenham Hotspur forward Troy Parrott, adding that he had been tracking the Irishman for some time as he spoke to the club's media team.
The 20-year-old wasn't reported to be short of interest this summer, with other Championship sides including Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland also previously interested in luring him away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He linked up with Antonio Conte's side in South Korea for a pre-season training camp earlier this summer after impressing at League One side MK Dons, recording 10 goals and seven assists in 47 appearances under Liam Manning as one of their top performers.
However, with Harry Kane and summer signing Richarlison ahead of him in the pecking order, it was always likely that the Republic of Ireland international was going to be sent out on another season-long loan deal.
And Preston have won the race for his signature as they look to replace the firepower they lost after Cameron Archer returned to parent club Aston Villa at the end of last term.
Lowe is one man that has acknowledged the Lilywhites have beaten several accomplished sides to the 20-year-old, with his arrival being confirmed yesterday evening.
He said: "Troy’s one I’ve monitored for some time; he had a fantastic season last year for MK Dons.
"I watched him play for Ireland against Scotland in the summer when he scored a fantastic goal in the Nations League.
"His work ethic is fantastic, his hold-up play is very good for the style he is, but ultimately we want Troy to score goals for us.
"We’ve beaten some fantastic competition to get him. I think we sold it to him with the style of play, the identity and what we want to achieve, and probably a little bit of help from a few of the Irish boys as well."
The Verdict:
Considering how important he was for MK Dons last term, he deserves the chance to step up to the second tier and could be a real asset considering the amount of international experience he already has under his belt.
He may not be the finished product yet - but neither was Archer and he thrived at Deepdale during the second half of last season - so there's every chance Parrott will go on to be a success in Lancashire.
There's also a real chance he will get plenty of game time with Archer leaving - and could end up starting regularly alongside Emil Riis. The latter could be prolific again next season, taking pressure off the Irishman to score a considerable proportion of their goals during 2022/23.
Tottenham may also be paying a proportion of his wages whilst he develops at Deepdale, so this is an addition that looks to be a smart one for all parties and gives the player the best possible chance of developing.
Even if another forward comes in, that may not be a bad thing for the 20-year-old who could use that new signing to maximise his performance levels with the two potentially competing with each other for a starting spot.