Preston North End transfer flaw highlighted as £800k figure emerges in report

It's never easy seeing star players leave your football club, but it's been a fair while since Preston North End brought in a substantial transfer fee for one of theirs. The Lilywhites published their accounts for 2022/23 this week, which highlighted an income of £800,000 from player sales.

Overall, PNE lost £12.2milllion after taxation - a figure down from £16.9m the previous year. The club's wage bill, staffing costs, wage-income all dropped, while turnover increased. But, given the nature of the football industry, c£11m of financial support was still required from Shareholders.

Football clubs had to negotiate their way through Covid - when money was scarcely being splashed in the transfer market - and come out of the other side. But, Preston's player trading has clearly dried up over recent years - Callum Robinson the last big sale in the summer of 2019.

Sheffield United paid a club record fee at the time, to sign Robinson for a reported £8million on the back of promotion to the Premier League. Since then, Ben Pearson and Ben Davies - given their ability - brought in miniscule money, having entered the final six months of their contracts.

And while outgoing business has not been too lucrative for Preston, that has not stopped the Lilywhites supporting their managers with new signings. Milutin Osmajic and Mads Frokjaer cost a reported £2.1m and £1.2m, respectively, this summer.

Ali McCann's price tag was said to be £1.2m in the summer of 2021, after Ben Whiteman cost a reported £1.8m the January prior. Earlier that season, North End dipped into the overseas market for the first time in a while to sign Emil Riis for £1.2m from Randers FC.

In the seasons before that, Tom Bayliss and Brad Potts were recruited for seven-figure sums. And while that backing is positive, it has not been balanced out by money coming in. You can understand the desire to keep a competitive team on the pitch, but it's been shown that top Championship players can command extremely healthy transfer fees.

And interest is obviously required to sell a player; club director Peter Ridsdale was keen to stress, after the sales of Pearson and Davies, that there had been very little in either. The overall picture of PNE's player trading though - since the exits of Robinson (2019), Greg Cunningham (reported £4m, 2018) and Jordan Hugill (reported £10m, 2018) - is pretty weak.

As per the reports published on Companies House, PNE have brought around £2m in total over four of the last five financial years (c£800k in 22/23, £300k in 21/22, c£700k in 20/21 and £250k in 18/19). This summer, North End sold Bambo Diaby for a fee and youngster Jacob Slater to Brighton. Those, and any potential pieces of outgoing business in the current transfer window, will be reflected in next year's figures for 23/24.

In a few of those years, though, it was made clear that North End were due transfer instalment money. That is the case with the latest report, with PNE due £484k but also owing £400k. PNE were owed £3.8m in 19/20 and £2.1m in 18/19, while owing £1.7m and £1.4m respectively.

With the multi millions PNE's owners are having to pump in - and lose - year-after-year, player trading would make a massive difference. Only those inside the club will know if and how many opportunities to do that have passed by in recent years. Emil Riis was the subject of a reported £7.5m bid from Middlesbrough in August 2022 - after his 20 goal season.

Right now, Preston's long-term assets on paper are Mads Frokjaer and Milutin Osmajic - who both cost the club sizable fees and are still looking to prove themselves in English football. They are both tied down until 2027, along with Ali McCann. The 2026 quintet at present is Brad Potts, Jack Whatmough, Layton Stewart, James Pradic and Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile.

Freddie Woodman has 18 months left on his contract, as do Kian Best, Jordan Storey, Riis and a handful of others. If that is time ticking in terms of player value, then any hopes of selling Ben Whiteman for a fee are near on non-existent. He will either sign a new deal at Deepdale, or leave for nothing at the end of the season.

The number four is out of contract in the summer, along with captain Alan Browne. PNE want to tie the two players down to fresh terms, with both offered new contracts. They are in the prime years of their careers and North End will be desperate for Browne and Whiteman to spend those in Lancashire. It would be a horrible case of Deja-vu if not - and quite frankly a disaster if both were to exit.

Browne's loyalty to and love for the club has likely been factored in, but that should never be taken for granted. Whatever the outcome, PNE can look to be sharper and more ruthless when it comes to their wheeling and dealing moving forward. The losses came down to £12.2m and while that is regarded as a 'significant financial stride', it's still a hell of a lot. And in terms of reducing it further, the solution is surely clear as day.