Over the summer, there will be a multitude of Preston players that are out of contract, leaving the club after the end of their loan deals and that will be offered to other clubs in a bid to offload them.
It really will be a summer refresh for new boss Ryan Lowe and he’ll have a big task on his hands but it could be a challenge that he will revel in, as he can bring in exactly the kind of players he wants and mould the squad to his liking.
PNE will want to try and kick on and look towards promotion this season, having fell to midtable at the back end of this campaign despite looking much brighter under their new manager. But who looks likely to leave? Who should stay at all costs?
Here then, is a full rundown of each position in the squad (youngsters included) and whether they should stay or go (or leave on loan too). We’ll start with the goalkeepers:
Daniel Iversen
Regretfully, it looks like Iversen will be heading back to Leicester. In an ideal world, we’d keep him permanently and if the funds are there, then he is the first player we should be looking to throw money at. However, the Foxes have probably seen him perform at Deepdale and may want him back as a future option – so for now, we might have to accept his Leicester return.
Declan Rudd
Still a reliable option, he’s had his ups and downs over the last few seasons and there may be better first-team options out there than Rudd but he deserves to be kept on and will be good as a backup when he recovers from his current injury. I can’t see him being a first-team option again after Iversen’s heroics and could see us signing another keeper if we don’t keep the Leicester man but who knows. Should stay though.
Connor Ripley
The goalkeeper will see his contract run out at the end of the season and that might be that when it comes to his time at PNE. He never really played and when he did, he flattered to deceive. He’s performed better elsewhere and he’ll probably be a solid option further down the pyramid but in terms of whether he will be used at Preston, it’s a no.
Matthew Hudson
More of a tricky one, Hudson has played previously and looked decent enough when called upon. That was a long time ago now though and since then, he has barely got a sniff of action. Loan spells have seen him play around the EFL and down in non-league. I’d be interested to see how he does at another EFL club given the chance now but he won’t play for us yet. Either another one-year make or break deal or letting him go may be the right option.
Oliver Lombard
One of the younger keepers in the squad and probably won’t be near the first-team next season but he does have a one-year option that would be worth taking. After what happened with Tyrhys Dolan, North End should think twice about letting all of their young talent go again and instead, they should let Lombard gain experience out on loan while staying with the club.
Will leave the club: Connor Ripley, Daniel Iversen, Matthew Hudson
Could stay (but could consider offers for): Declan Rudd
Should be sent out on loan: Oliver Lombard
Is GK a position of need then?: The short answer is yes – we could go from four goalkeepers to one and we’ll most definitely need to look for a new first-team option, whether that is Iversen or someone else. It really is a position that will likely need strengthening.