Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has revealed he is planning to sit down with a couple of potential signings after this weekend as he looks to steal a march on other teams ahead of the summer transfer window, speaking to Lancs Live.

Despite having a very slim chance of reaching the play-offs previously following their resurgence under their current boss, the Lilywhites had nothing to play for quite a few games before the end of the campaign with no chance of promotion or relegation.

With this, Lowe has been able to focus on the bigger picture for quite some time as he looks to level up his squad ahead of next term, though it looks like he will be working within a limited budget once again.

 

 

The club's retained list is due out next week and there has already been some movement at Deepdale, with long-serving defender Paul Huntington confirmed to be departing the second-tier side on the expiration of his deal this summer.

With departures likely to be on the way, they will need to bring players in to fill gaps and transform themselves from midtable mediocrity to promotion contenders.

And the second-tier side's boss has revealed that talks are set to take place with potential new additions with targets already being shortlisted at Deepdale.

He said: "After the weekend we can officially start speaking to players, we’ve got names we want.

"It will all depend on whether we can sort the contracts out and get the money sorted out, which I’m sure we will, but it's obviously a long process and we need to keep working.

"Once Saturday is out of the way, then we can probably sit down with a couple of players and start discussions on contracts."

The Verdict:

A lot of preparation seems to have gone into the next few months and that will help the Lilywhites to give themselves an advantage over the likes of Huddersfield Town, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Luton Town who still don't know what league they will be in next season.

This summer also feels a lot different at Deepdale compared to previous years - because they seem to have a manager who will be at the club for the long term and this is why they can stay building with one eye on the next few years.

It remains to be seen what budget Lowe has to work with - but with the good relationship he has with Steven Gerrard - he may be able to get a few loanees from Aston Villa. Considering the work he has done with the likes of Cameron Archer and Sepp van den Berg, other managers will also trust the 43-year-old to manage their youngsters well.

There will also be plenty of free agents available and gems from the lower leagues as well, so they don't have to spend a huge amount of money to have a productive window, as long they have sufficient transfer plans in place.

If he can get a few deals over the line early doors, something that could happen judging by his latest comments, then that could help the squad to gel together quickly because there could be quite radical changes in their quest to compete at the right end of the division.