Preston North End boss Phil Brown says he hopes to keep Town target Keith Treacy at Deepdale, despite his club’s relegation to League One. The Lilywhites manager says they are yet to receive a concrete bid for the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland international.
Brown, who expects Treacy to eventually return to the Premier League where he made fleeting appearances for Blackburn, said: "There’s been no firm offers for him. But I have had interest from four clubs — one of them a Premier League club, the other three being in the Championship.
"With that in mind, if we can manage to keep hold of Keith and our other better players, for me it is a firm indication from Preston North End that we mean business next season.
"But I also understand that finances can dictate things. If someone comes in and bids a ridiculous amount of money for Keith, the other side of the equation follows.”
Town, Nottingham Forest and Hull have all been linked with the Dubliner, while Burnley had been reported to have made an unsuccessful £800,000 bid earlier in the summer.
The Blues’ other Preston target, defender Sean St Ledger, is claimed to be the subject of a £750,000 offer from Leicester, although the Lilywhites, who turned down a £1.5 million bid from Town in January, are unlikely to accept a figure as low as that.
Elsewhere, Brighton are reported to have offered £250,000 to Crystal Palace for ex-Blues midfielder Owen Garvan, who joined the Eagles a year ago for the same fee.