Preston North End attacking midfielder or wideman Josh Harrop is on the Blues’ list of January loan targets.

Discussions have been ongoing with the Lilywhites for more than a week but we understand a deal is currently not close to being done with incoming business at Deepdale - Ben Whiteman is close to signing from Doncaster - potentially having an impact on whether Harrop will be allowed to move on.

Town manager Paul Lambert wants to give his players some help in the January window with general manager of football operations Lee O’Neill having said that the Blues are looking for attacking players.

We understand Harrop is high on Town’s list of potential signings along with Luke Thomas, who is looking to move to play more games having had limited opportunities at Barnsley.

Another player TWTD has learned the Blues were keen on is 18-year-old Manchester City winger Morgan Rogers, who opted to join Lincoln City on loan last week.

Harrop, who may have been the player Stuart Taylor said Town had hoped to sign before the weekend game against Swindon, joined Preston in June 2017 having come through the youth system at Manchester United, where he made one Premier League start for the Red Devils in a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace on the final day of 2016/17 and scored the opening goal.

The 25-year-old, who is 5ft 9in tall, has made 39 starts and 55 sub appearances for Preston, scoring 13 times.

However, this season Stockport-born Harrop has made four starts, one in the Championship, and four appearances from the bench, scoring once.

Capped three times by England’s U20s, Harrop signed a new contract at Deepdale which runs to 2023 in August.

At 25, Harrop counts as a senior player in terms of the salary cap with the club having a limit of 22 players aged over 21.

Photo: Action Images

SteveDt added 22:37 - Jan 12 Can he pass sideways and back to the keeper as forward passing is verboten
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Gforce added 22:47 - Jan 12 In a couple of years we'll be in league 2 loaning players from Fleetwood and Accrington Stanley
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Gforce added 22:50 - Jan 12 And Chambers, Sears and Judge will still be in the team
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Tallen added 23:42 - Jan 12 Fascinating. There is one owner in League 1 who is already hiding behind the forthcoming wage cap months before it is imposed and possibly a full year before it is enforced. People question Marcus Evans' lack of ambition when in reality he has none whatsoever. This very rich Chelsea follower absorbed a football club into the Company balance sheet out of vanity (a football club is “must have” status symbol to this type of idiot) and in the hope they can quickly reach the EPL so he can make a quick buck. After that plan failed miserably he has strategically sold every valuable asset to limit his losses and the lower we are in league status the more he limits the losses. And now the EFL have presented him with a ready made excuse as to why he isn't investing in the team. There are plenty of suitors, the football club sector is full of investors and chancers, Marcus Evans is simply seeking an unrealistic exit price and is therefore stuck in this financial quandary in perpetuity. I know this because I have been part of a group that tried to end this nightmare, he is seeking a figure or package that in no way represents the value of the club. But please stop complaining about his lack of ambition, HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE FORTUNES OF ITFC, HE IS SIMPLY A BUSINESSMAN LOOKING TO REDUCE HIS LOSSES ON A FAILING SUBSIDIARY COMPANY AND TO THAT END, HE IS QUITE SUCCESSFUL.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:19 - Jan 13 Very worrying analysis, Tallen. I don't understand much - or anything - about how the business world works, but my solution on the pitch is as follows: two up front, proper winger(s) to supply them, move McG into holding midfield role and move Dozz forward, tell Baggott he should stay and make McG's place in the back line his own. Probably all very unrealistic, but we can hardly do worse than we are now.

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BildestonBlue added 07:34 - Jan 13 Steve ITFC Sweden Even if we wanted to play McG in the CDM roll we would probably be unable to due to the way loan deals are agreed in todays game. I doubt Arsenal would want there up and coming young CB playing in midfield. I wish we'd actually sign players with some potential, it doesn't have to be the amount we spend just the correct candidate that's been watched and assessed properly, Southampton have done this so well over the years, when they sell a player they already have a well planned list of who and what they are going to back fill there sold stars with.

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budgieplucker added 08:13 - Jan 13 I wouldn't scoff at this. He is a talented lad with two very good feet and a good free kick specialist and a definite goal threat, everything we should be getting from Alan Judge but not. I hate criticising Judgey because he is faultless in effort a very good experienced pro and whilst an encouraging performance from him on Saturday he has been a real flop with us. Sometimes it just doesn't happen for certain players at certain clubs and I am beginning to think Allan would be best placed for a move and I would personally delighted to see him go and do well for another club because I have nothing but respect for him as a good guy and pro who did well coming back that horrific injury at Portman Road. If we did make this signing it would only be short term of course as the lad is contracted to Preston for another couple of years and well thought of. This does though beg the question what about all our other promising youngsters who can play this position, Dobra, Lankester and El Mizouni. I don't think any of these lads are currently ready to make this position their own but there is some logic in rotating our youngsters to keep them fresh and hungry (rather than the wholesale rotation of last season, but it is not an inconceivable Way of blooding young talent.

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tractorman9 added 08:21 - Jan 13 Sadly we are now feeding on slops - we are now past "wake up and smell the coffee" we are an established 3rd tier club. yes 3rd tier.............It is not acceptable. Lambert and Evans out.
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Nobbysnuts added 09:11 - Jan 13 Never heard of him....and if he's an attacking player he is no good for us anyway...our current management would just ruin him..
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norfolkbluey added 09:26 - Jan 13 I think I'm going to stop looking on this site soon as it's so depressing. It appears that most of us who love our once illustrious club should be prescribed antidepressants. The really depressing thing is that there is truth in almost everything supporters are saying. Our club is slowly dying and until a radical change comes we will slip into obscurity. The club needs a a top to bottom change which is something I never envisaged.

3

MonkeyAlan added 09:34 - Jan 13 Another 5ft tall man mountain then. We need some physical presence, not these lightweight players that will get nowhere in this league. He will soon be passing it around at the back anyway once Lambert has schooled him. Evans you muppet.
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BlueNomad added 10:21 - Jan 13 Loanees / "rejects" / "lack of ambition" - Magilton, Reuser......................................
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RegencyBlue added 10:25 - Jan 13 Tallen I've been saying this sort of thing for years, no inside knowledge on my part but it's been obvious to anyone who looks realistically at the situation. Unfortunately the majority of our fan base seems happy to lap up the bull Evans comes out with and until that changes the club will continue to decline. I cancelled my season tickets after more than forty years and will never go back to PR until this charlatan is gone. Until thousands more do the same we are stuck with him and the relentless decline he brings.

1

coolhand added 10:28 - Jan 13 Here is as I see it, I'm a manager of a big sales team and over the past few years our sales have fallen through the roof, I tell the team they need a bit of help and, so I try and take on a older sales guy who has been on sick leave and his company don't really need him because of past performance. I haven't seen him work and all I have to go on is his past history which is ok'ish but nothing outstanding. Hope the owner of my company does not know more than I do?

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blues1 added 10:34 - Jan 13 My god, some if you really need ur heads seen to. People moaning it's a loan. That's all we can sign this window. That morning free agents. We are nit allowed to pay a transfer fee. The player who went to lincoln didnt choose them over us. We were only linked with him so nothing there. As for harrop? Hes been a regular championship player over the last few seasons so yes, should def be better than what we have now. Who the hell do you lot think we're gonna be looking to sign? Aguero, van dyke, pogba? People need to get real. Stop living in the past, and accept things as being what they are. As for you scottcandage. Moaning about us waiting for other clubs to do their business? That's how it works. Why would they let a player go until theyve signed a replacement. Plus, we have to get rid of players before we can sign anyone. And that hasnt happened yet.

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Linkboy13 added 11:18 - Jan 13 Apparently another player who has skill but very rarely produces it does a very good tea pot impression. Not the sort of player we need at the moment. The team is lacking players with big hearts especially in midfield who can get in the other teams faces this is always evident when we play the better teams too many bloody wimps in our side.
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Nobbysnuts added 11:45 - Jan 13 Tractorman9....unfortunately you are correct...we are now bottom feeders......
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Blue_Meanie added 12:04 - Jan 13 18 year old kid from MCFC decides Lincoln City is a better option than ITFC. Just shows you if you are still in any doubt how far our club has fallen under this administration. Evans out
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brittaniaman added 12:24 - Jan 13 Well it looks like Lambert is here to stay Until we are out of the Promotion race according to the EADT. direct from Evans mouth, if one can believe that !!! Lambert has got to change his ways and his Game Plan if he is going to Stay, because most fans know it is not working, only he thinks it is going too, Arrogance comes to mind of this 4 clubs failure man.
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leftie1972 added 12:47 - Jan 13 Whilst Charlie Brown signs for MK Dons apparently.
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leftie1972 added 12:48 - Jan 13 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55646918
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Sixto6 added 13:03 - Jan 13 It doesn't matter who we get in - the players aren't playing for the manager ! And unfortunately a player not good enough for Preston will improve our squad - that's how poor our lot are !
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ITFCsince67 added 13:13 - Jan 13 Do we really need another midfielder? No. Investigate why our players keep getting injured.
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Ipswichbusiness added 13:17 - Jan 13 Leftie1972; let's hope that Elkan Baggott has read that article!
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blues1 added 13:46 - Jan 13 Taken. Unfortunately ur post falls down right from the start. Hes not hiding behind the salary cap, as u say before it even comes into effect in a years time. Its already in effect. So no, we cant sign anyone without getting rid of players 1st. If utlr gonna post something, u need to get ur facts right 1st.
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