Two Players Who Could Leave Preston North End This Summer
Preston North End, always seemingly in with an outside shot of making the playoffs on a small budget, may need to wheel and deal this summer to change up their squad and ensure they don’t go backwards.
I write this given that statistically at least, their best performers seem to be of a certain age. Clarke (30), Spurr (30), Cunningham (27), Huntington (30), Gallagher (33) and others have all contributed to varying levels but all have their better days arguably behind them.
Some, like John Welsh and Calum Woods for example, may well leave when their contracts run out in June anyway so money will be freed up on the wage bill whatever happens.
There is a danger that Preston will start to decline should they rely on these older players for another season without adding some potential to back them up. A change is needed but in order to bring new people in, the club will also need to sell so watch out for the following two players perhaps being shown the door:
Daryl Horgan
The 25-year-old, a free transfer last January from Dundalk in the Irish league, hasn’t really hit the heights Preston may have expected and at this age, being under contract until 2019, he would command some sort of a useful fee.
16 of his 18 Championship appearances this season have come from the substitute’s bench and that tends to suggest that he has enough ability to be in the matchday squad (therefore a saleable asset) but is never quite trusted to do the business.
With that in mind, it seems the manager doesn’t think he’s the long-term solution in the midfield and a better and more innovative solution is needed. Whatever price they could get for Horgan would be gratefully received by Alex Neil I’m sure.
Daniel Johnson
A strange one maybe, the 25-year-old still has the potential to do well in this league and he has contributed 3 goals this term as well as being popular with some.
The man from Kingston, Jamaica has played 26 times in the league this season but frankly, has disappointed. Of the regular players, those playing more than say 10 games, Johnson sits as the 5th worst in terms of overall ratings on whoscored.com and if the manager sees things the same way as they do, he may decide to cash in.