3 right wing-backs Preston North End must look at this summer

Preston North End will line up in the Championship for the ninth-straight season when the 2023-24 campaign begins in August, and there is some work that needs to be done when it comes to building Ryan Lowe’s squad before that.

Not only are the futures of out of contract midfielders Josh Onomah and Daniel Johnson uncertain, but star loanees Alvaro Fernandez and Tom Cannon will head back to their parent clubs with little chance of a return to Deepdale.

Then there are the injury issues up-front to deal with as Emil Riis and Ched Evans are unlikely to be fit for the start of the season – there’s plenty of recruitment that needs to be addressed.

One area of the pitch that could also do with some work is the right wing-back area – one which saw Brad Potts unchallenged for the majority of the 2022-23 season.

Captain Alan Browne sometimes covered in that area but the fact he is much better suited to his midfield role means that North End must bring in a Fernandez-esque player for the right hand side to compete with – or replace Potts in the starting 11 next season.

Let’s have a look at THREE individuals who could really help North End out and be realistic targets for that position.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden

Often thought of as a top talent at Aston Villa, having been the club’s captain when they won the FA Youth Cup in 2021, Kesler-Hayden probably found himself unlucky to be playing in the club’s under-21’s for the second half of last season.

He was at Huddersfield Town in the first half of the campaign and actually scored the winning goal against North End in the Terriers’ win on Boxing Day 2022 – he was just starting to show some form before heading back to Villa but it was the decision of Mark Fotheringham to terminate his loan.

Kesler-Hayden deserves another crack at the Championship next season though and with his attacking capabilities a far bigger strength than his defensive ones, he could be a useful addition to North End down the right.

Marc Jurado

Another player who could be destined for a loan move away from his club is Manchester United’s Jurado.

North End took a chance on Fernandez last season after his good performances for the Red Devils’ under-21’s squad and gave him his first experience of regular senior football, and that’s exactly what they could do with Jurado.

The Spaniard scored three times and assisted four goals in the Premier League 2 for United this past season – the exact same numbers Fernandez put up in 2021-22 – so he would look to be the ideal addition from a club that could clearly benefit from PNE giving their players experience.

Josh Key

If North End want a more permanent solution to their wing-back dilemma, then Key could be the man.

He’s been linked with clubs such as Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City in 2023 but the Exeter City man certainly looks ready for a move to the Championship, with his contract set to expire at St James’ Park this summer.

The 23-year-old would require compensation to be paid, whether that be an agreed fee or via a tribunal, and whilst his four goals and two assists last season perhaps underrates his attacking talents, Key is good enough to come in and either compete with or overtake Potts at wing-back.