These 8 Preston North End players will leave Deepdale in 2023

Preston North End’s ninth consecutive season in the Championship will begin in August after they tailed off in their race for the play-offs at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

It was another mid-table finish for the Lilywhites in the end after picking up just one point from their last five matches, and there’s work to be done in the transfer market over the next two months to get a squad capable of breaking into the top six.

Whilst some PNE fans would not mind a full-scale rebuild this summer, the reality is that it will not take place in 2023, although eight players could be departing at the end of June.

Which Preston North End players are set to depart?

Five players have been outright released by North End, although none of them will put a significant dent in Ryan Lowe’s first-team squad.

The only senior player to leave outright will be Matthew Olosunde, who was a free transfer arrival from Rotherham United two years ago but he never hit the ground running due to injuries.

The American right-back played just three times in all competitions for the Lilywhites in two seasons, with his last outing being in August 2022 against Wolves in the EFL Cup.

Olosunde struggled at Deepdale and alongside him heading out of the exit door are four players from the under-21 squad.

Attacking midfielder Aaron Bennett, who spent time on loan at Altrincham last season, is perhaps the most significant of those, with midfielder Dana Amaral and defenders Lewis Coulton and Harry Nevil all exiting as well.

The latter trio all had spells in non-league on loan last season and that is likely where they will end up if they pick up new clubs.

In terms of players who are out of contract that have been offered deals, North End are waiting to hear back from Daniel Johnson, Josh Onomah and Greg Cunningham.

There are strong suggestions that Jamaica international Johnson is being monitored by Stoke City and ex-PNE boss Alex Neil, as well as clubs in Belgium and France as he could be about to end his eight-and-a-half year stint at the Lancashire club.

Onomah meanwhile reportedly had agreed personal terms with North End as his short-term deal is about to come to an end, but a stumbling block has emerged and his future now appears to be in doubt.

One player who was on the retained list with a contract offer on the table is Robbie Brady, and he has extended his stay at Deepdale until 2025.