Preston North End look set to end the loan of Josh Bowler after an unsuccessful spell at Deepdale during the January transfer window.
The Championship side are in talks with Bowler’s parent club, Nottingham Forest, about terminating his loan, but it may not be as straightforward as they hope.
Another unsuccessful loan
Preston manager, Paul Heckingbottom made Bowler his only signing of the summer transfer window on deadline day, shortly after being installed as the new boss.
However, since signing, Bowler has only made nine appearances across all competitions and has not had the impact he and the club would have hoped for.
This comes on the back of a frustrating time for Bowler. Having had a marquee season in the 2020-21 Championship season with local rivals Blackpool, Bowler secured a dream move to the Premier League with newly promoted Nottingham Forest on deadline day in 2021.
However, since then Bowler has endured a difficult time, finding minutes and form hard to come by.
He has yet to play for his parent club since that move and has since been on three loans. He joined Olympiacos immediately after joining Forest, but having failed to make an impact, was recalled and sent on loan to his previous club Blackpool.
He spent last season on loan at Cardiff City, where he made 39 appearances, scoring five goals and providing two assists.
It was hoped another loan move might help Bowler rediscover his form, but it looks to be another frustrating spell for the winger.
Complication makes the next move challenging
Journalist George Hodgson reports that the current situation is made more complicated by the fact no recall clause was inserted in the loan deal.
Preston loaned Bowler for the season, and there was even an option-to-buy included, but Forest was not given a recall period in January.
Both clubs are in dialogue to try and find a resolution, but it seems like the winger’s time at Preston is at an end, as Alan Nixon reports they are already looking at other winger options in the January transfer window.
Bowler was left out of Preston’s squad for their trip to QPR yesterday and it looks like his options are limited.
The 25-year-old is under contract at Forest until 2026, but with his chances at Forest almost non-existent with the quality they have and their current run of form, it looks like Bowler is going to have to hope another club come in for him in January and release him from the footballing wilderness he now finds himself in.