"A very scary time at Deepdale" - Claim made on Preston North End transfer situation amid new Sam Greenwood update | OneFootball

FLW's Preston North End fan pundit has weighed in on the future of Sam Greenwood

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Preston North End are unlikely to trigger the option to buy Leeds United forward Sam Greenwood this season after his loan spell.

According to Alan Nixon, the Lilywhites are not considering a permanent move to sign the 23-year-old in the summer.

Greenwood joined the Lancashire outfit last year on loan, and has so far made 36 appearances in the Championship.

He’s contributed five goals and three assists, with the team sitting 16th in the Championship table as we approach the final weeks of the campaign.

Sam Greenwood transfer verdict

When asked about the prospect of Greenwood leaving the club, FLW’s Preston fan pundit Darren Watson claimed it’s the right move.

He believes that the forward hasn’t lived up to expectation, and that Paul Heckingbottom must have other options if he’s already decided not to pursue a permanent move.

“Obviously, Sam Greenwood is not likely to return to Deepdale next season,” Watson told Football League World.

“Personally, I think it’s the right decision and the right way to go.

“The games Sam Greenwood has played, he’s just looked like the player that we expected to be.

“He’s had glimpses of brilliance, but it’s just the consistency is not there with him.

“I don’t know whether that’s down to the lack of game time, obviously not having enough first team experience at his parent club Leeds.

“He’s been on loan to Middlesbrough, and on loan to us as well, I do feel that maybe we should look at other different attacking options on the wing.

“I think Paul Heckingbottom’s got other players in mind because if he didn’t, and he wanted him, he would go out and make his interest known to Leeds that he wants to sign him on for next season, provided that Leeds go up and they want to sell some players that are on their wage bill.”

Preston transfer claim

Watson is unsure what to expect from Preston this summer due to the number of players coming into the final weeks of their contract, and is a little scared of what could happen next with the team.

“But we have got another option now, lots of other options,” he continued.

“Do we go out and look for younger, more attacking players, or do we go out looking for, relying on other clubs, like we always have for loan options.

“Be interesting to see what happens in the summer.

“It’s a bit of a double-edged sword.

“I’m looking forward to it, but at the same time I’m a bit scared of what actually the future holds for Preston at the moment.

“It’s really interesting, but also a very scary time at Deepdale with the amount of players that are actually out of contract.

“I’m looking forward to it, at the same time, but I’m just holding back a little bit just because I always expect the unexpected at Deepdale.”

Busy summer expected at Preston

The decision on Greenwood being made now is a strong indication that Preston are already lining up their summer transfer plans.

The forward hasn’t done enough to justify spending a permanent fee on him, with his recent decline in game time showing he’s fallen down the pecking order of Heckingbottom’s plans.

Players like Freddie Woodman, Emil Riis, Ryan Ledson and Robbie Brady are out of contract this summer, and decisions will need to be made on their future soon.