4 players Preston must consider replacing Ben Whiteman with before September 1st | OneFootball

With the skipper on his way out, Paul Heckingbottom should be perusing the transfer market for one of these players to strengthen his midfield

It is an uncertain time to be a Preston North End fan right now after Ben Whiteman's move to Wrexham.

This after the club are coming off the back of the biggest transfer swing they've ever made, putting down an estimated £6m, per Alan Nixon, for Alfie Devine.

But they have lost every pre-season friendly that they have played, all against lower league opposition, since beating Northern Premier League side Bamber Bridge 4-1 in mid-July.

And then adding to the headlines, captain Whiteman has departed the club under a storm of controversy, joining divisional rivals Wrexham on Wednesday evening.

Whiteman, 30, had been at Preston since 2021, and had been captain since the summer of 2024, playing over 200 games for PNE.

However, manager Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire that the skipper had "crossed a line" in an attempt to force through his departure, adding that "he's made his bed. I'm not bothered as long as I get another player."

With that departure in mind, and Heckingbottom demanding a replacement, here are four options that Preston should explore to replace their departed number 4.

Alan Browne

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This one might be a bit of a pipe dream for PNE fans, but there is absolutely merit in the Lilywhites asking the question to Europa League-bound Sunderland about taking back their former captain.

Browne is a man who needs no introduction to anyone involved at Preston.

He began his senior career at the club, joining from Cork City in January 2014 at just 18, and going on to make over 400 appearances before leaving for the Stadium of Light in July 2024. He was club captain for four years of his decade plus in Lilywhite.

Having been loaned out to Sunderland's Tyne and Wear rivals Middlesbrough during the 2025/26 campaign, Browne flourished back in the second tier.

He contributed to seven goals in 38 games, mostly as a converted right wing-back, and won the Championship's Player of the Month award for January as Boro eventually reached the play-off final.

With the Black Cats venturing into Europe this season, Browne, now 31, will likely be loaned out again or sold by his parent club before September.

Per the Lancashire Telegraph, Middlesbrough are not interested, but Preston's local rivals Blackburn Rovers are.

That alone should be enough to encourage PNE to throw their hats into the ring, unless they want to risk seeing their old skipper wearing Rovers blue this season.

George Dobson

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With the Whiteman-to-Wrexham deal now complete, Preston have missed an opportunity to snatch away a replacement for their skipper directly from the Racecourse Ground.

George Dobson, 28, has been with the Red Dragons since July 2024, joining as a free agent after having previously captained Charlton Athletic.

As of now, there is just one year left on his Wrexham deal, and with Whiteman on his way in, his playing time in 2026/27 will not be as guaranteed as it was in 2025/26.

Dobson, who is capable of playing in midfield and defence, featured 40 times in the league last season for his current side, and made four goal contributions as Wrexham narrowly missed out on the play-offs.

They finished seventh — a point behind eventually promoted Hull City, and a sizeable 11 points ahead of 14th-placed Preston.

Late last month, on X, transfer reporter Darren Whitcoop claimed that "Sheffield Wednesday are weighing up a move for Wrexham midfielder George Dobson once the Welsh side land Preston’s Ben Whiteman."

The Owls will be playing in League One next season. It would be hard to imagine that third-tier football would be more appealing to Dobson than to remain in the Championship, which could be exactly what PNE can offer him.

Deroy Duarte

Who? Is what everyone would have said before this summer's World Cup tournament. But Deroy Duarte was a key component of a Cape Verde team that stunned the footballing world with their progression to the knockout stages in North America.

The 27-year-old is just about entering his third season for Ludogorets Razgrad, better known simply as Ludogorets, in the Bulgarian top tier.

He has previously played club football for both Sparta Rotterdam and Fortuna Sittard, in the Netherlands.

Ahead of the World Cup, Duarte featured 33 times in the league for Ludogorets during the 2025/26 season, scoring two and assisting two. He has proven himself capable of playing in defensive, central and attacking midfield.

He has also proven that he can adjust to immense pressure. During the biggest game in the history of his national team - their World Cup Round of 32 defeat to defending champions and eventual finalists Argentina - he scored an equaliser just before the hour mark to send the game to extra time.

Despite impressing significantly in the World Cup, alongside the rest of his Cape Verde teammates, it is unlikely that his asking price will be beyond the realms of possibility for Preston, who have shown they can spend when they want to already this summer with the acquisition of Devine.

The Championship is a notoriously tough league to adjust to for players with no experience of English football, but Duarte has shown on a much bigger stage that he can do the job that is asked of him.

Laros Duarte

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Almost everything written above about Deroy Duarte could be applied to his older brother, Laros. He was another player that featured in some capacity in every game that Cape Verde played in their maiden World Cup, but he did so in a slightly different role.

The 29-year-old also plays his club football in a European top division — namely, the NB I in Hungary, for Puskas AFC. He joined in August 2024, signing a three-year deal, which means his existing contract will end next summer.

Prior to his time in Hungary, he has turned out for Sparta Rotterdam, alongside his brother, and Groningen in the Netherlands, having initially been a product of reigning Dutch champions PSV's youth academy.

Generally a more defensive-minded player than Deroy — although he is still capable of adapting to an attacking role if needs be, Laros assisted six goals in the league during 2025/26, from 30 games played. He also contributed to seven clean sheets as his side finished a respectable sixth in the table.

Having not scored during the Blue Sharks' historic World Cup campaign, unlike his brother, it would be a surprise if his transfer value was astronomical, should Paul Heckingbottom reach out to Puskas AFC.

He is also two years older than his brother, which more often than not means his valuation will be seen as comparatively lower. Yet, he is still younger than the departing Whiteman.