Preston North End receive January transfer enquiry for first-team forward | OneFootball

Preston North End could send summer signing Jeppe Okkels out on loan in January after receiving an enquiry about the winger.

Preston North End could have a decision to make on the future of summer signing Jeppe Okkels next month amid loan interest from elsewhere in the winger.

According to the Lancashire Evening Post, Preston have received an enquiry from a fellow UK-based club about the possibility of signing Okkels on loan in January.

Okkels joined the Lilywhites from Dutch side Utrecht this summer for a fee of £1.7 million, despite barely featuring for his former club after his January 2024 move from Elfsborg, but he has struggled for game time since his arrival at Deepdale, casting doubt on his long-term future at the club.

The 25-year-old has made just 10 appearances for North End this season, with three of those coming from the start, and he has only played a total of 306 minutes in all competitions.

It remains to be seen whether Preston will allow Okkels to leave in January, but as they currently sit 18th in the Championship table, just five points clear of the relegation zone, they are facing a crucial winter transfer window.

Preston North End receive Jeppe Okkels loan enquiry

Preston paid a significant fee to sign Okkels in the summer, but his arrival came a day after the departure of manager Ryan Lowe, who surprisingly resigned just one game into the season.

It seems that Okkels has failed to impress Lowe's replacement, Paul Heckingbottom, and the ex-Sheffield United manager admitted last week that he needed to see more from the winger.

"We have had lots of conversations with Jeppe. He knows what I want from him and what I need from him. He knows - to get on the pitch and start games - we need more," Heckingbottom told the Lancashire Evening Post.

“We will keep working and yeah, we obviously work on the next opponents but we are constantly working with the players who are not in the team. If we get them in the team we improve the team, so that is always ongoing."

Okkels made his first appearance in over a month as a second half substitute in the 2-1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, and his only start in the league came all the way back in September in the 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough, in which he was substituted at half time.

The former Denmark youth international could depart Deepdale on a temporary basis in January, but should the Lilywhites sanction his exit, they may need to enter the transfer market for a replacement, particularly as they are also reportedly set to terminate the loan of Nottingham Forest winger Josh Bowler.

Jeppe Okkels' Preston North End exit would be the right move for all parties

Given his previous experience in the Swedish and Dutch top flights, Okkels looked to be an exciting signing for Preston in the summer.

The Lilywhites are not known for spending big transfer fees, so the fact they decided to invest £1.7 million in Okkels was a big show of faith in the winger, but it was always a risk signing a player while the club was without a manager.

It seems that Heckingbottom has not been convinced by Okkels so far, and his public comments last week urging him to work harder suggest that a January exit could be on the cards.