Amr Zedan to seal Preston North End takeover? What is actually going on | OneFootball

All the latest going on with Amr Zedan's interest in buying Preston North End

Preston North End have had a disappointing start to the new Championship season - could that impact the takeover talks that are STILL ongoing?

The Lilywhites have already dismissed manager Paul Heckingbottom off the back of a poor run of form to start the 2026-27 campaign.

The Lancashire outfit have won just one of their opening eight league games, leaving them 23rd in the table during the September international break.

Fans will be hoping that their team can turn things around when they come back to action following the first international break of the campaign, where they'll likely have a new manager in place.

Preston were also recently the subject of takeover interest from Amr Zedan, which has caused further uncertainty behind the scenes, despite their big spending summer transfer activity.

Here, we look at the latest going on with Zedan’s attempt to buy the Championship…

Amr Zedan initiated January talks to invest in Preston North End

Action Images

Zedan’s interest in PNE first emerged back in January of this year, when it was reported that he held talks regarding a takeover of the club.

It was reported by Sky News that the US-Saudi businessman held a number of discussions about a possible deal, with the hope of offering Paul Heckingbottom extra help in the mid-season transfer market, but talks had stalled at that stage.

However, he was not the only interested party in a deal, with a number of alternative investors also taking a look at the Championship side.

It’s believed that the first round of talks began in December 2025, but they were unable to come to terms on an agreement at that time.

Amr Zedan spotted at Deepdale in April 2026

Zedan was later spotted in attendance for the team’s clash against QPR back in April, which came just a few days after he posted himself on his Instagram account watching the 2-2 draw with Leicester City from afar.

The 51-year-old’s interest had not officially progressed in the three months since his initial interest first emerged.

However, he was at Deepdale as Heckingbottom’s side drew 1-1 against the London outfit, indicating that he hadn't walked away from a possible deal.

However, the summer transfer window came and went without any significant updates on the ownership situation at the Lancashire outfit.

But it was claimed back in May by Alan Nixon that his legal representatives remain in talks with Preston owners, the Hemmings family, regarding investment.

The most recent update from PNE in regards to a potential sale to Zedan was from non-executive chairman Ian Penrose, who revealed in mid-August that the club's ownership was in discussions "with parties who have made offers to buy PNE on terms that are acceptable to the Hemmings family", but for legal reasons could not offer up anything else.

It can be perhaps assumed that Zedan is one of those parties, perhaps in tandem with a potential minority investor, but over a month on, there's still been no update since - albeit he did in fact repost PNE's winning result against Blackburn Rovers in early September to his Instagram story.

Could manager change at Preston North End impact Amr Zedan’s takeover plans?

Action Images

Heckingbottom was in charge when Zedan’s interest in Preston first emerged earlier this year, but he has since been dismissed from his position by the current PNE hierarchy.

It’s far too early to suggest that the Lilywhites are in danger of being relegated, but the club must get the next appointment right or it could spiral into a disastrous campaign.

Zedan therefore, whilst he's still presumab;y in talks, will be keeping a close eye on how the team performs because dropping into League One would have an impact on the club’s value.

It’s been reported that the Championship club have been granted permission to speak to Bradford City boss Graham Alexander, and he could be the man chosen to take over.

But it remains uncertain whether Zedan has been able to influence the managerial decision as his interest in the club refuses to go away.

Zedan is still splashing his cash on thoroughbred horses that run mainly in the USA, and he set tongues wagging in April when spending $10.5 million on a two-year-old colt - the second-highest figure ever paid at a North American auction.