Despite being fourth in the Championship standings in early January, Preston North End’s customary drop in form began far earlier than in previous years.

The Lilywhites’ scorching run of form began with an FA Cup round three defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic, and since a 2-0 success away to Bristol City at the start of 2026, Paul Heckingbottom’s side has won only twice in the Championship.

Heading into the final four games of the season, PNE cannot qualify for the play-offs or be relegated, therefore they are now only playing for pride and to impress Heckingbottom ahead of the 2026-27 season.

However, there are potentially exciting times ahead at Deepdale, with the resurgence of takeover discussion from Saudi-US billionaire Amr Zedan, who had initially held talks with the club in January about potential investment, resulting in his participation at the Easter Monday draw with QPR.

Paul Heckingbottom makes a Preston North End claim ahead of probable takeover.

PNE has been a small spender in the Championship, having waited 23 years to break their transfer record in 2023 when signing Milutin Osmajić from Cadiz. The club’s lack of investment in the market, despite the Hemmings Family’s support, may have held them back from becoming a Premier League club.

Heckingbottom, on the other hand, is confident that he can take North End to the next level if he is given more resources from those in charge to invest in his squad depth.

“Yeah, look, it can’t be done without more money,” Heckingbottom told the BBC Lancashire.

“So, in terms of expenditure, wages, and net spend, we are likely to finish last in the league this season. For us to be where we are, doing that, demonstrates that, as I told you at the start of the season, it’s not about money.

“And that is not Preston not spending; it is simply the current terrain of the Championship. I look at the upcoming clubs, and Lincoln has done an excellent job, which is probably how we will have to perform in this league. But they’ll definitely spend more than we do throughout the summer to make significant improvements. That is the lay of the land.

“Now, how we do it is really, really important because we have to do it.”So, for example, if we could get our wage bill in the middle of the road while also investing, strengthening, and paying transfer fees in the middle of the road, I believe I could bring us up to a tough level. That would be my intention.”

Amr Zedan’s investment could offer Preston North End a fresh lease on life.

Despite Zedan’s initial ambitions to invest during the January transfer window, conversations did not go as anticipated, and it looks that a full takeover is now in the works.

Zedan is no stranger to spending a lot of money in sports, having been a big investor in horse racing in the United States for a number of years, and having been linked with a move to Chelsea a few years ago before Todd Boehly bought the Blues, it appears he has the money to make a difference at Deepdale.

Of course, any investor must follow the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules, and for a club that is one of the lowest earners in terms of commercial revenue in the Championship, PNE will need to find some new, creative ways to boost their finances in order to spend on new players without selling their best assets.

If Zedan can complete his takeover before the summer transfer window opens, things might seem extremely promising for North End in the future, and Heckingbottom obviously believes he has the ability to propel the club back into the top six of the Championship for the first time since 2009.