Reports linking Morecambe striker Cole Stockton to Championship side Preston North End are wide of the park, according to a report from Lancs Live.
The 28-year-old played a crucial part in keeping the Shrimps afloat in League One following their promotion from the fourth tier at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, scoring 23 goals and recording four assists in 44 league appearances.
This has not gone unnoticed by other sides, with Football Insider reporting that the Lilywhites, Peterborough United, Portsmouth, Rotherham United and Wycombe Wanderers are all keeping tabs on the forward at this stage.
The quintet may have received a boost in their reported quest to recruit him with journalist Alan Nixon recently reporting that Stockton is keen to move on from his current side this summer despite their efforts to tie him down to fresh terms.
Morecambe's talisman is set to be available for free with his existing deal expiring this term, potentially allowing Ryan Lowe to strike a bargain deal for the Lilywhites as they look to add the attacking firepower needed to fire them towards the top six next season.
But as per Lancs Live, they are not thought to be keeping tabs on the striker at this stage, potentially giving other sides in the race a boost in their quest to land him.
The Verdict:
This is a shame - because Preston could have benefitted from a low-risk addition like Stockton to come in and replace Cameron Archer, who isn't guaranteed to be back at Deepdale next season after impressing in Lancashire.
A move to Deepdale would have also been a reasonably short one for the 28-year-old so this move may have been ideal for the forward who may be reluctant to remain in the third tier after progressing so well this season.
Arguably, he has done enough to earn his move to the second tier, although Lowe may have deemed him not ready to compete at the right end of the second-tier table after spending much of his time in the bottom half of the third tier.
Although he would have to relocate, a move to a team like Reading may be a good choice for the 28-year-old because although he may not get past Lucas Joao in the pecking order at first, the latter has a poor injury record and this is something he could capitalise.
They certainly need a forward or two to arrive at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, though he isn't likely to be short of offers in the coming days, weeks and months as he continues to resist putting pen to paper on fresh terms at his current side.