Paul Heckingbottom has detailed his aims for the forthcoming January transfer window, but accepts Preston North End “need to move players” to bring in fresh faces.
According to the Lancashire Post, the Preston manager wants to add to his team next month, but squad constraints and prospective funds may prevent him from doing so.
The Lilywhites had a busier summer than most, bringing in 12 new players to Deepdale as Heckingbottom sought to freshen up the squad after a sluggish second half of last season, which saw them fighting for survival on the final day.
Fast forward to the end of 2025, and North End are third in the Championship. However, with seven points separating them from 16th, they cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
As a result, the January window provides an opportunity to provide the team a much-needed boost in order to maintain their top-six status and possibly make an outside push at the top two spots.
Paul Heckingbottom lists “two things” that must be completed before January signings can be made.
According to a report in the Lancashire Post, Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom hopes to improve the squad during the upcoming January transfer window, as history shows that teams that don’t usually run out of steam and can’t maintain their good form from the first half of the season to the second.
Given how close the play-off battle is right now, it’s not unreasonable to imagine that a successful winter transfer window may mean the difference between promotion to the Premier League and Preston’s 12th consecutive Championship season.
“Very few teams have been promoted without signing in January… “I can only think of one [his Sheffield United team],” Heckingbottom stated.
“Listen, it’s hard. Are you asking whether we want to conduct business? Yes, sure. We want to attempt to develop and give ourselves the greatest chance in an extremely competitive competition.
“There are two options for us. We’ve named 25 players to the squad, and now we’re looking at money. If we have 25, we must shuffle players to bring them in or leave them out. And then I reply, “We must find the funds and money to do that, or we cannot.”
In terms of who Preston will seek this winter, Heckingbottom stated that he wanted to bring in another striker in the summer, and that hasn’t altered despite Milutin Osmajic being just two games away from serving a nine-game ban and Daniel Jebbison rediscovering form.
“To me, it’s vital. I believe that’s one of the most important things we sought to change: having different means to score goals,” Heckingbottom remarked.
“Too often last year, we put up performances that were readily comparable to this year. We had the same level of control with the ball as we did without it last year, but we didn’t win.
“I believe the difference is that we’ve been able to convert situations into opportunities, and then chances into goals this year, which is significant. So I would always prioritize that. It’s a really big deal.”
Preston North End will hope for a similar quality window in January as their summer one.
Preston’s summer transfer window does not appear to be particularly exciting. Only Odel Offiah was paid for among the 12 new signings, with the Lilywhites depending heavily on free transfers and loans to freshen up the team.
However, Paul Heckingbottom’s standout players this season have been Daniel Iverson and Thierry Small, who came to Deepdale for free, and Harrison Armstrong, Alfie Devine, and Daniel Jebbison, who are on loan from Premier League clubs.
Preston has demonstrated that, despite a limited budget, they can still attract great operators at the level, and with Paul Heckingbottom in charge, they have someone with promotion expertise who can get the most out of them.
The Lilywhites had an incredible first half of the campaign, and now it’s all about keeping that momentum into 2026. If they get the January window right, they may have a chance at promotion.
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