Preston North End star Will Keane’s representatives have reportedly opened contract talks with the Championship club after the former Ireland international entered the final 12 months of his current deal and had been the subject of bids from West Brom and Wrexham this summer.
The 31-year-old topped the club’s charts with 13 goals in the 2023/24 Championship season and has achieved double figures in each of his last four domestic campaigns.
Preston North End Star’s Goalscoring Exploits Attract Interest
After leaving Manchester United’s development squad in 2016 following loan spells with Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and Preston North End the Ireland international failed to make a breakthrough at Hull City, making just 26 appearances across two and a half years before moving on loan to Ipswich Town in January 2019.
The move was later made permanent and it was a transfer to Wigan Athletic in 2020 that kickstarted his goalscoring exploits in the Football League. The five times capped forward topped League One’s goalscoring charts with 26 goals as the Latics won the title. Keane was proving to be an effective poacher, with each of his goals that campaign coming from inside the penalty area.
The former England under-21 international scored 50 times for Wigan Athletic in 133 appearances before moving to Preston last summer and displayed his predatory instincts yet again, as each of his 13 strikes came from within the 18-yard box. He would be a major addition to any side looking for a genuine goalscorer and with the player entering the final year of his deal, he has attracted interest from sides in both the second and third tiers.
Wrexham Set to Miss Out on Will Keane After Bid Rejected
The Red Dragons have picked up seven points from opening three league games, scoring six goals, but are reportedly still in the market for a new attacker according to Football Insider, who reports that the club had a £750,000 bid rejected for the forward and that Preston North End have now opened contract talks with the player, who scored the winner last weekend in a 1-0 win over Luton Town.
Wrexham are well stocked in forward areas and have Ollie Palmer, Steven Fletcher and Jack Marriott off the mark this campaign but manager Phil Parkinson may be looking to add further depth in a position where he regularly fields two players in his starting line-up as the club seek a third successive promotion.
Sam Dalby provided cover for the starting players in League Two last season but scored just one goal and provided a further five assists in 31 matches at that level. Paul Mullin has been an excellent servant for the club with 100 goals in 134 matches but has struggled with injury so far, making just one substitute appearance to start the new campaign.
Parkison spoke of potential further business being conducted before the deadline, according to Goal.com on Tuesday he said:
“I am not getting carried away. If the right player becomes available we will make a move. There are a few of our lads we feel need to go out on loan so we are not thinking we have cracked it by any stretch of the imagination. But there are players who have deserved their chance at this football club to show they can do it at this level and at the moment they are doing great.”
One player who may need a loan is Jake Bickerstaff, as the 22-year-old spent the second half of 2023/24 on loan at Accrington and has yet to make a breakthrough at the Welsh club. If Wrexham are to add another forward to their ranks, they will have to do so quickly as transfer deadline day is this Friday with a trip to Peterborough on Saturday their next league outing.
