Town and Nottingham Forest are showing interest in Preston left winger Keith Treacy, according to reports in Ireland. The 22-year-old is claimed to have already been the subject of an unsuccessful £800,000 bid from Burnley this summer and looks certain to leave the newly-relegated Lilywhites.
The Republic of Ireland international is said to be valued at around the £1 million mark, with another year remaining on his Preston contract, and says he has spoken to his current club’s manager Phil Brown about moving on: "We had a meeting and he’s just put a price on my head and said if it gets met, all well and good, we won’t hold you back.
"We’ll have to wait and see now if a club is interested or what’s going to happen but I’m hopeful, yeah, because I want to play at the highest level I possibly can.
"I feel maybe the Championship or the Premiership at a push would be ideal for me. I think I’m a little bit better than League One if I’m being honest.”
Treacy played for the Belvedere club in his native Dublin as a youngster before joining Blackburn in 2005.
The 6ft-tall wideman’s senior debut followed a year later during a loan spell with Stockport County in League Two, which was followed by a further temporary switch to Sheffield United in 2009.
Having made only 10 starts and 12 sub appearances for Blackburn, Treacy joined Preston for an undisclosed fee on February 1st 2010.
Described as a pacy and tricky winger, Treacy forced his way into the North End side during his first half-season at Deepdale and has been a regular this term, scoring nine goals in 36 starts and five games from the bench. He was subbed in the first half of Town’s final day victory over Preston having been clattered by Troy Brown early on.
The Dubliner has also now added three senior Irish appearances to his four caps and one goal at U21 level and is likely to be in the side which takes on Scotland in the final Carling Nations Cup match in Dublin on Sunday (6pm Sky Sports One/HD1). Blues defender Damien Delaney and former loanee Darren O’Dea are also likely to be involved.
Meanwhile, another winger interesting the Blues, Dundee United’s right-sided man Craig Conway, is reported to have turned down the offer of a contract at Rangers.
Conway, whose terms with the Terrors are up this summer, is said to have spoken to the Blues, Crystal Palace and Watford with the Eagles believed to be the frontrunners for his signature.