Preston North End have emerged as a rival to Leicester City in the race to sign Liverpool midfielder James McConnell.
The 21-year-old has been heavily involved in the Reds’ first pre-season under Andoni Iraola, playing in three of their four outings ahead of their Premier League opener against Newcastle United later this month.
North End Seek Deal
Interest from across the EFL emerged yesterday, with the Athletic reporting that Leicester City were eyeing a loan deal for McConnell, with unnamed Championship sides set to rival them for his services.
Now, as revealed by Alan Nixon through his Patreon page, one of those anonymous clubs has been outed as Preston North End, who are still on the lookout for a replacement following the acrimonious exit of club captain Ben Whiteman to join Wrexham.
The Lilywhites have been touted with a move for a Leicester player this summer, with a potential loan deal for Oliver Skipp mooted by Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider at the start of the month.
McConnell spent the first half of last season on loan at Eredivisie giants Ajax, but struggled to make a mark with just seven appearances under his belt before returning to Anfield, failing to play a single game in Arne Slot’s final season.
He is one of many names touted for a temporary move away from Anfield this summer, but it is expected that most deals will be made once the season gets underway as the Reds scramble to find reinforcements on the transfer market.
Which Destination Is Better?
With Liverpool set to promote Trey Nyoni to a regular role in the first-team squad this season, it seems that James McConnell may have to head out on loan to try and get some much-needed senior experience under his belt.
A move to Ajax proved to be too premature for the midfielder, and letting him establish himself in the EFL should be firm ground to allow him to launch his career away from Anfield.
Crucially, the future of the 21-year-old may depend on what happens between the two clubs currently vying for his services, with Preston North End linked to Leicester City’s Oliver Skipp.
However, that deal may now prove to be dead in the water given the Lilywhites’ emergence in this race, and as proven with Alfie Devine, Lewis Dobbin and countless others, Deepdale is the perfect destination for loanees to make their name.
Leicester perhaps need to get Skipp off their books before being able to complete a loan move for McConnell, and while they can offer him a regular role behind Sammy Braybrooke and Liam Cullen, until they shift the 25-year-old, it may hinder their hopes in this race.
